Chapter 15

Adequate updates, can't I get the support and collection from my brothers?

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Ever since Su Mu sent Xu Yan to the police station, their connection has never been severed. Xu Yan, who knew the situation in Black Mountain Town before coming, almost without hesitation, mixed with Su Mu, the deputy town mayor with a compatible temperament. Otherwise, it would be impossible for Xu Yan to follow him to the county town to look at building materials on such a hot day.

"Old Su, don't you think Yang Song is too unscrupulous? For such a big matter, Black Mountain Town doesn't even put out a single cent. You know, this isn't for building a house for you, but for doing good for all the children in the town," Xu Yan said disdainfully, taking a big gulp of beer.

Usually, as long as they weren't at work, the two of them would never call each other by their official titles in private, always calling each other Old Su and Old Xu, which made them seem more intimate.

"There's no way the town's finances have much money," Su Mu said with a smile.

"Even if there isn't much, I don't believe they can't come up with ten or twenty thousand. This is Yang Song clearly scheming against you. I've figured it out, Yang Song is just like Yang Hu, they're all a bunch of scoundrels," Xu Yan said fiercely.

"Old Xu, you've been busy with this matter for a few days. I haven't asked you how things are going at the police station?" Su Mu asked, raising the beer bottle to take a sip.

"Bird's nest!" Xu Yan said angrily: "A palm-sized place is full of bird's nests, all a bunch of scoundrels who squat in the toilet but don't defecate. Especially that Yang Hu, and the deputy chief Zhang Weiguo, they're like two peas in a pod. They do nothing but drink and play mahjong all day."

Speaking of this, Xu Yan felt very angry. Black Mountain Town, no matter how small and poor, had things happening every day. But that scoundrel Yang Hu never did anything right. Xu Yan's personal experiences with a few incidents were very telling.

"Old Su, have you ever seen something that could be resolved with a single stamp being dragged out for half a month? Have you ever seen a police officer watching two people fight, not only not stopping them but also laughing and making fun of them? Have you ever seen something that was clearly a private matter but ended up being signed as a public expense?"

Xu Yan felt very indignant as he said this, tilting his head back to finish the remaining beer, and shouted loudly to the side: "Boss, give me a few more bottles, it's really fucking frustrating! If this were in the military, I'd make them unable to get out of bed!"

How could Su Mu not know what Xu Yan was talking about? He had arrived several months earlier than Xu Yan. Even if he hadn't entered the police station, he had heard about it. But what could he do? Yang Hu was Yang Song's man, and the police station was the mayor's private domain. If there was no profit, what could you do?

Even the old secretary Liang Changgui couldn't solve this problem, so what could Su Mu, a deputy town mayor with no power, do? In the end, it was all because of the lack of power!

"Old Xu, you can't be too anxious about this!" Su Mu said with a smile.

"What the hell is this, come on, let's keep drinking." Xu Yan raised his beer bottle and clinked it.

"Old Xu, I haven't asked you, what are you thinking? There are so many good towns, why did you choose Black Mountain Town? Even if it's the worst, with your family's connections, you could stay in the county police station," Su Mu asked curiously.

Over the past few days, Su Mu had already learned about Xu Yan's identity. He was indeed not someone without roots or background, as Su Mu had guessed. Xu Yan's father, Xu Zhengcheng, was the deputy chief of the Xingtang County Public Security Bureau. Although he didn't have much say, he was still a deputy chief and could easily arrange a good position for Xu Yan.

"Old Su, don't guess, this is all my own choice. Rather than staying in the county police station, I'd rather go to a place. I said I'd go to the poorest and hardest place, so the old man sent me to Black Mountain Town," Xu Yan said indifferently.

So that's how it is.

"Should I use the old man's connections to get him to..."

Xu Yan's words were cut off by Su Mu shaking his head. To be honest, Xu Zhengcheng's connections were something Su Mu wanted to leverage. After all, with Xu Yan's relationship, it could always come in handy. But using it for such a small matter was unnecessary.

Besides, even if Xu Zhengcheng spoke up, what good would it do? The head of the Xingtang County Finance Bureau was also one of Xie Wen's people. To get him to defy Xie Wen's wishes and allocate funds, it was a dream!

"I have my own way, I think I should be getting a reply soon." As soon as Su Mu finished speaking, his phone rang with a clear melody.

"Su Mu, it's me. Were you getting anxious?" Ye Xi said brightly on the other end.

"Yes, if you don't come soon, I'll go crazy!" Su Mu said in response.

"Ha ha!"

The phone carried Ye Xi's bright laughter, "I won't joke around with you. Do you know? This time we're really going to make a fortune. I've sold those three antiques, and you can't imagine how much money I got. I've also raised funds for your primary school renovation. We're on the road now, and we should arrive in Xingtang County in about two hours."

"Really? That's great, I'm in the county now. We'll contact you when you arrive," Su Mu said.

"Okay, talk to you later!" Ye Xi said and hung up.

"How's it going? From your expression, it seems the funds are in place?" Xu Yan asked excitedly.

"Of course, who do you think is handling it? Don't worry, in two hours, our money will be here. Come on, let's celebrate first!" Su Mu raised his beer bottle.

"Ha ha, I knew you'd have a way!" As he said this, the two of them clinked their bottles and tilted their heads back, drinking the beer as if to wash away all their frustrations.

On the national highway from Qinglin City to Xingtang County, a comfortable and luxurious minibus was steadily moving forward. Inside, a few well-dressed people, who looked like successful professionals, were seated. Ye Xi was sitting at the front, and next to her was a middle-aged man with a smile on his face, wearing gold-rimmed glasses that gave him an air of authority.

His name was He Sheng, the owner of a seafood business in Shengjing City. This time, he accompanied Ye Xi to Black Mountain Town, which was actually quite simple: he wanted to use this opportunity to build a relationship with Ye Anbang.

A few days ago, He Sheng received a call from Ye Anbang's secretary, asking him to organize a few merchants to come to Black Mountain Town to examine potential investment projects. The secretary also mentioned that Ye Xi would be coming personally, and He Sheng knew what to do.

To He Sheng, Black Mountain Town meant nothing. He brought a few good business partners, treating this trip as a sightseeing tour, and then planned to make a small donation. After all, he was very willing to do something good for society and the children in the mountainous areas.

"Miss Ye, have we not arrived at Black Mountain Town yet?" He Sheng asked with a smile, actually guessing the relationship between the person who could make Ye Anbang do this and Ye Xi.

"Not yet, it's still early. Manager He, are you tired? If you're tired, you can rest. We can stay in Xingtang County first," Ye Xi said with a smile.

"No, not at all! We've only just started. I don't think we need to stay. If we have time, we can go directly to Black Mountain Town," He Sheng said with a smile.

"That's great!" Ye Xi said.

"Miss Ye, we don't need to be so formal. You might not know, but I graduated from the same school as you, Jiang University's School of Economics and Management," He Sheng said, trying to build a connection.

"Really? Manager He, you're also from Jiang University's School of Economics and Management?"

"Yes, I graduated ten years before you. To be honest, I feel a bit embarrassed. I've only done a small business, not enough to make my alma mater proud."

"Manager He, you're being too modest. This is a small business? You've practically monopolized the seafood market in Shengjing City."

"Ha ha! Miss Ye..."

"Please, Manager He, since we're both from Jiang University, just call me Ye Xi, or even 'junior' is fine."

"Alright, I'll be straightforward. I'll call you Ye Xi, but you should call me 'senior.'"

"Sure, Senior He!"

...

Soon, the relationship between He Sheng and Ye Xi became much closer due to their senior-junior connection. In fact, Ye Xi had known about He Sheng's identity for a long time, which was why she approached him. He Sheng was a student her mentor had favored, and he had indeed done well.

Because her mentor had said that although He Sheng's business was big, he was still a good person with a heart. That's why Ye Xi approached He Sheng through Ye Anbang's secretary, Du Cheng. Otherwise, she would have chosen someone else.

Besides, Ye Anbang had never made such a request for personal matters. But this time, he couldn't resist Ye Xi's pleading, and since it was for a good cause, and Su Mu had saved Ye Xi's life, he decided to help.

Two hours passed quickly, and when Ye Xi called again, Su Mu and Xu Yan were already waiting at the highway entrance. The minibus stopped, and Ye Xi and her group got out.

"Are you serious? This is overkill, Ye Xi. What are you planning to do, bringing so many people?" Su Mu said, somewhat surprised. Not to mention anything else, just the reception costs would be a big burden.

"Look at you, are you scared? Don't worry, it's still early. We're here to help you. We'll go directly to Black Mountain Town, complete the procedures, and then head back to Shengjing City tonight," Ye Xi said with a smile.

"How can that be? Heading back tonight?" Su Mu frowned: "Since you're here, you're my guests. I have to entertain you properly. Otherwise, not only will I lose face, but who would dare to invest in Black Mountain Town in the future?"

"Alright, you decide. Let's go to Black Mountain Town first to handle the business. I'll introduce you to someone later; the funds will be handled by him," Ye Xi said with a smile.

"Alright!" Su Mu nodded and, thinking of the people around him, introduced them: "Ye Xi, this is my best friend in Black Mountain Town, Xu Yan. Xu Yan, this is my university classmate, Ye Xi."

"Hello!"

The two exchanged simple greetings. What Su Mu found curious was that apart from being impressed by Ye Xi's appearance at first, Xu Yan didn't make any excessive moves. It seemed this guy was not simple. If it were someone else, seeing a beauty like Ye Xi, they would probably be drooling.

After everyone was settled back in the car, Ye Xi introduced them with a smile, "Su Mu, this is He Sheng, the manager who is here to invest in the children of Black Mountain Town. Oh, Manager He, no, I should call you Senior He, he graduated from the same school as us, Jiang University's School of Economics and Management. Senior He, this is the Su Mu I mentioned to you, the deputy town mayor in charge of education, science, culture, and health in Black Mountain Town!"

"What a coincidence! You're also from Jiang University, so you're my junior. Ha ha, it seems Jiang University produces a lot of talented people. To become a town mayor at such a young age, that's impressive!" He Sheng's eyes flashed with surprise as he laughed.

"Manager He, you're being too modest. I'm just a deputy town mayor, doing a bit of work for the villagers of Black Mountain Town. How can I compare to you, who have achieved so much? You're the pride of Jiang University!" Su Mu didn't directly call He Sheng 'senior' because his position required him to be cautious.

Climb the ladder when you should, but be careful when you shouldn't.

He Sheng wasn't surprised. With his extensive business experience, he could see through Su Mu's intentions at a glance. He nodded inwardly, at least their first meeting was pleasant, and he knew Su Mu was a person with a good sense of propriety.

"What pride? I'm just running a small business. Compared to you, Town Mayor Su, the things you've done for the children of Black Mountain Town make me feel ashamed," He Sheng said with a smile.

"Each to his own, Manager He. We have different jobs, so there's no need to feel ashamed. I'm very happy that you're here. When we arrive in Black Mountain Town, I'll represent the town government to welcome you. I can't promise the best food, but I can guarantee it will be fresh," Su Mu said, smiling and scanning the bus, making sure not to ignore anyone while talking to He Sheng.

Sure enough, with Su Mu's words, the others began to look happier. They were here with He Sheng, doing him a favor. But if a poor and remote town mayor like you acted arrogantly in front of them, they would be unhappy.

"Xu Yan, help me entertain the guests." As Su Mu and He Sheng sat down to chat, he called Xu Yan to the back of the bus to play the role of a companion.

Through their conversation, He Sheng found that this town mayor indeed had some talent. His research on certain economic theories was even deeper than his own. Although he still couldn't figure out the relationship between Ye Xi and Su Mu, this didn't stop He Sheng from beginning to accept Su Mu and enjoy chatting with him.

Of course, during this time, Su Mu also took the opportunity to call the town and separately informed Liang Changgui and Yang Song about He Sheng's visit to invest.

Although this matter was under Su Mu's jurisdiction, the rules of the bureaucracy had to be followed. The funds would not be handed to Su Mu but would be received and managed by Yang Song, the town mayor.

The party handles personnel, the government handles the economy; this is a principle!

At the entrance of the Black Mountain Town government.

Because of Su Mu's call, a scene that hadn't been seen in a long time appeared. Liang Changgui, Yang Song, and several others all showed up. Among them were the Black Mountain Town Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Dong Xiangrui, the Party and Government Office Director He Chengli, the Deputy Secretary Zhang An, and the Deputy Town Mayor Ma Yangfan. In short, the entire leadership of Black Mountain Town, except for Su Mu, was present.

"Old Secretary, is Town Mayor Su's call true or false? Did he really bring investors?" Dong Xiangrui whispered. He and Zhang An were Liang Changgui's people, while Ma Yangfan and He Chengli were closer to Yang Hu. They were worried that if Su Mu was lying, the consequences would be serious.

"Is that right, Old Secretary? Is Town Mayor Su sure?" Zhang An asked similarly.

"Don't worry, I believe he wouldn't dare to lie about this," Liang Changgui said solemnly. "We'll wait and see, we'll know soon enough."

While the three of them were talking, Yang Song and his group were also whispering. However, none of them had high hopes for Su Mu, thinking he was just bluffing to get by.

"Hopefully, I can take this opportunity to deal with Su Mu and kick him out of the town government," Yang Song thought, a disdainful glint in his eyes.

Time passed, and Liang Changgui and the others didn't have to wait long. A minibus soon pulled up. As soon as it stopped, several people got out, and at the forefront was none other than Deputy Town Mayor Su Mu of Black Mountain Town!