Chapter 49

Please invite Secretary Lu, Township Chief Jiao, Deputy Secretary Cui, Minister Niu, Deputy Township Chief Zhang, and Director Zhou of the Comprehensive Governance Office to come and inspect and guide. Please have the broadcaster announce to all the people of the township that the Liangzhuang Township Police Station of Sigan County Public Security Bureau has been established, and publish its address and phone number. In the future, for reporting crimes, applying for ID cards, and obtaining household registration certificates, please come directly here.

As a result, when it reached the broadcaster's mouth, the police station, which had been painstakingly set up, became one of the good deeds and practical measures for the people by the township party committee and government this year.

The township did not provide a single cent of funding, yet they had the audacity to boost their reputation.

There was no choice; this was a Chinese characteristic.

Whether it was the police station or the public security special envoy, they all had to work under the leadership of the township party committee and government, and the credit would always go to the leaders. When Director Zhang was interviewed by the county TV station, he would also put the county leaders at the forefront.

Regardless, the police station was finally established.

If he could sing Peking Opera, he could slightly modify a segment from "Shajia Bang" and say with a rising and falling intonation: "When my troops first started, there were only three or four people and two or three guns..."

After assigning the tasks and making all the arrangements.

The next morning, he picked up the accountant, Old Yan, from the construction station and set out on the "debt collection journey."

Working in Liangzhuang meant being a cadre of Liangzhuang Township, not taking the township's salary, and not receiving funding from the township treasury, but it didn't mean that Old Lu couldn't do anything to him. If the assigned tasks were not completed, at the township party members and cadres meeting, Old Lu would make him stand up and scold him in front of all the township party members and cadres, making him lose face.

How could a police officer conduct work once his authority and dignity were lost?

Minister Niu had reminded him not to take it lightly.

Moreover, Old Lu wasn't easy either. He had to consider the wages and medical expenses of all the township cadres, teachers, and retirees, and find ways to raise funds for construction.

For example, "Universal Nine-Year Compulsory Education" was a requirement from the central government, not a fundraising or levy, but it didn't consider whether the local area had the financial capability. He either discounted or outright rejected the fundraising and levies from the city and county, but always fully implemented the tasks assigned by the central and provincial governments. He was determined to build several teaching buildings before he stepped down.

The "Village-to-Village Road Access" was a people's livelihood project, and the matching funds had to be found.

...

He wasn't just robbing Peter to pay Paul; he was calculating when each sum of money would be available and where it would be spent after it arrived.

The money recovered from debt collection would be used to pay the wages for November and December, and the autumn funds would be the first installment for building the teaching buildings. By the time of the Spring Festival, things would be easier. The construction teams from the construction station would all return, and the project payments from their external construction work would generally be settled before the Spring Festival. He would set aside over one million to cover the wages of cadres and teachers until the summer, and the remainder would be used as the second installment and the matching funds for building the rural roads.

Maintaining a precarious balance, the funding chain must not break; if it did, it would cause major problems.

Although he didn't require the full 1.55 million to be recovered, 400,000 was still a significant amount.

In the past, it would have been a source of pressure.

Since he had that dream, it was as if he had gained decades of experience. Many things had fragments in his fragmented dreams, and although he hadn't dreamed about helping the Liangzhuang Construction Station collect debts, he had impressions of others doing so, and some methods could be borrowed.

There was nothing to worry about; at worst, he would cause a commotion.

It was over 300 kilometers, with poor road conditions, and it took more than five hours to drive, which was exhausting.

It would have been better to take a Yutong bus from the Xian'an bus station, where he could sleep all the way. However, Old Lu required "first courtesy, then force," so he had to wear his police uniform, carry his gun and handcuffs, and drive the police car.

"Special Envoy Han, driving for half a day is tiring. I'll get off at the next bus stop and take the 109 bus to Captain Wang's construction site. You can find a hotel to rest and meet at the client's place at 8 a.m. tomorrow. I'll go ahead and wait for you at the entrance."

In Liangzhuang, Old Yan was a man who had seen the world.

He had traveled to over a dozen major cities, but he had mostly lived on construction sites. The truly capable ones were the project managers who could secure projects and manage large construction sites, not someone like him who had switched to finance mid-career.

He positioned himself correctly, just as someone who followed behind to pay the bills. He opened his bag, counted out ten large bills with his saliva, and placed them in the storage compartment: "I'll leave this 1,000 with you. You can use it to ask for help, book a room, and pay deposits. There are many expenses. It's best if you have receipts, but if not, I'll figure it out later."

No leader would dislike such an accountant, no wonder Manager Wang valued him so much.

"Alright, you know my pager number, 128, which works throughout the province. I'll see you at the client's entrance at 8 a.m. tomorrow." On a business trip, of course, it was on the public dime, and Han Bo didn't hesitate to accept, nor did he plan to help him spend recklessly.

He dropped him off, drove east along Zhongshan Road, passed through more than ten traffic lights, and turned three times before finally arriving at the west gate of the East Campus of Jiangcheng University.

It was around noon, and classes hadn't started yet. The younger students who disliked the taste of the cafeteria food and preferred street vendors were out in pairs.

It had only been a few months, but it felt like a long time since he had left.

The sight before him gradually brought back memories. At the graduation ceremony, there were sighs and tears, and many campus couples had dispersed, not knowing when they would meet again.

Reflecting on the past and the future, there were many sighs.

As a student union cadre for several years, he had interacted a lot with the younger students. The few who had just passed by, laughing and joking, had worked with him at the school sports meet, but now they were strangers.

He was looking at the tree-lined avenue in the campus when someone gently knocked on the car door. He turned around and saw a delicate face smiling at him.

"Did you wait long?" After being apart for over four months, the sudden meeting caused a flutter in his heart, and he quickly opened the passenger door.

"From 10:30 until now, what do you think?" Li Xiaolei was wearing a fiery red shirt and a light green skirt, with her black, shiny hair cascading over her shoulders. Her bright, mischievous eyes twinkled, and her slightly upturned nose gave her a playful look.

"The traffic was heavy, and I couldn't go fast."

"Even the police car was stuck?"

"Absolutely, the traffic was so heavy that even the police car was stuck." There was no one around, and he was about to kiss her to relieve his longing, but the side door opened, and four or five people climbed in. They were all Li Xiaolei's roommates, and the air was filled with their fragrance.

"Brother-in-law, you're so heartless, leaving my sister for over four months without even coming to visit."

"Drive forward, drive forward, go to our usual place and treat us to a good meal. I'm starving."

Li Xiaolei smiled but didn't speak. Han Bo looked back and, holding the back of the seat, said, "Ladies, you're robbing a police officer."

"We're robbing a police officer who has a job and income. We're poor students with no money, so we're waiting for you to improve our lives. Two spicy chicken dishes, Xiao Yu, what do you want?"

"Fish-flavored pork, Kung Pao chicken, sweet and sour pork ribs..."

"I want fish-flavored eggplant, stir-fried oil mackerel with Chinese lettuce. Their salted duck isn't good, so let's buy one from outside."

"Alright, you can order when we get there."

"The usual place" was a restaurant run by a senior, who was a counselor at the school. His hometown was in the countryside, and his siblings had come with him. His brother had learned to cook and was skilled, and the prices were reasonable. Plus, he had good relationships, so many students came here for birthdays and other gatherings, making the business very good.

It was past lunchtime, so they didn't have to wait for a table. They went to a private room on the second floor, which was a single room, not as good as the private rooms at the Silk Hotel.

He had anticipated that these "female bandits" would try to get something from him, so before returning to Liangzhuang, he had specially gone to the clothing factory and bought several pieces of silk clothing and scarves that had been returned for various reasons.

He brought them in a cardboard box, opened it, and the "bandits" went wild.

"Silk, how much would this cost?" Li Xiaolei's heart warmed as she received the carefully selected clothes and scarf from her boyfriend.

"Exported and then sold domestically, not expensive, but the clothes are a bit big and need to be altered to fit."

"Brother-in-law, you're so good, big is fine, I don't mind."

Exported clothing, with fashionable designs, fine workmanship, and all silk, was hard not to like.

After a long separation and with gifts, the meal was filled with laughter and joy. The "bandits" were considerate and didn't stay too long, leaving with mischievous smiles after eating and drinking their fill.

They paid the bill and went to the Juxian Hotel, where there was a parking lot in the back.

It wasn't the first time he had been there, so he knew the way. He checked in, got the room key, and went upstairs.

Driving for half a day was tiring, so he took a comfortable shower and lay on the bed for about ten minutes. Li Xiaolei came out in a bathrobe, and Han Bo smiled at her, looking at her like a lotus flower just out of the water, so fresh and beautiful. Usually, she took at least half an hour to shower, but this time it only took ten minutes, showing how much she had missed him!

After a long separation, their reunion was passionate, like a spark igniting a fire. They burned with all the pent-up longing, finally embracing and talking about their separation.

"My internship placement is confirmed, and I'll report next week. My father has arranged it, and where I intern, I'll work in the future." Her voice was choked with emotion, and tears welled up in her eyes.

The ivory tower, a pure and sacred place in the poetry of many poets.

The love in the ivory tower, a dream in the hearts of many young men and women.

At the age of dreams, having a passionate romance is almost every student's ideal.

Graduation means the end of love, as many couples have to part due to work in different places or family opposition. Very few can continue their love to the end.

In four years of university, he had seen many partings, some with tears, some with anger, and some who had to say goodbye on the phone after their feelings were crushed by reality. Many relationships started with passion and ended in loneliness, some without even a goodbye.

This relationship was a witness to the best time of their lives. If it could only be a memory, it should have a dignified ending. For himself, for her, and for their relationship, it needed a proper conclusion.

Han Bo was silent for a long time, then said lightly, "There's no more job allocation, so having a job is better than looking for one everywhere."

This day would come, and they had to face it with strength.

Li Xiaolei took several deep breaths, turned over, and asked, lying on his chest, "Have your family... introduced anyone to you?"

"They're busy, just urging me. The people introduced by my original unit are many." Han Bo caressed her smooth back, his movements gentle.

"Have you found anyone you like?"

"I'm not Chen Shimei; how could I do something to hurt you?"

Li Xiaolei suddenly opened her mouth and bit his arm hard, making him wince in pain. Then she hugged his neck and asked with tears in her eyes, "Do you want me to feel guilty for the rest of my life?"

One shouldn't be too selfish. No matter what, they had at least had their time together. Han Bo greedily inhaled her familiar, faint scent and smiled bitterly, "Love is about giving. Loving someone means thinking about their well-being. How could I make you feel guilty for the rest of your life? I'll be Chen Shimei, but I just haven't met the right person yet."

"Let's not talk about this. I want, I want more..."

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