Chapter 42

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"Stop shouting like that! Do you want to scare me to death?"

Lu Kanghua was startled by the sudden scream, shuddering all over as he stared at Yan Chunhua and shouted, "We're in our own home, what's wrong with you?"

"It's not that, Old Lu, don't you find it familiar?" Yan Chunhua said anxiously.

"What's familiar?" Lu Kanghua frowned.

"I mean Su Mu! Su Mu, that's right, Su Mu. Didn't you see the look on our daughter's face?" Yan Chunhua shouted in a hurry.

"Tell me, what are you trying to say!" Lu Kanghua said impatiently, "I'm busy reading a report. If you have nothing to do, go back to your room and be crazy there."

"Phew, you're the one being crazy! Lu Kanghua, you're like a dog biting Lü Dongbin. I'm just trying to remind you. Su Mu, Luo Lin, Xing Tang High School, don't tell me you haven't thought of anything!" Yan Chunhua shouted.

Buzz!

Reminded by Yan Chunhua, Lu Kanghua was momentarily stunned, then his mind buzzed loudly. The report in his hand fell to the ground as he stood up, his eyes flashing with urgency, and he shouted at Yan Chunhua, "You mean this Su Mu is Lin'er's high school classmate, the current mayor of Heishan Town?"

"I think it's almost certain. Didn't you see the look on our daughter's face? If it wasn't him, she wouldn't have reacted like that. A father knows his daughter best. Don't you think it's strange? I'm telling you, this Su Mu is definitely that high school student!" Yan Chunhua nodded.

Thud!

Lu Kanghua suddenly sat on the sofa, all his strength seemingly drained. If Yan Chunhua could think of Su Mu, he naturally could too. It wasn't that Su Mu was too famous, but because the incident back then was too big. As Luo Lin's parents, how could they forget their benefactor Su Mu?

"It's over, it's all over."

Back then, they rejected Su Mu. Now, he was the mayor of Heishan Town, and the Lu Family Construction Company was not as prosperous as before. If they couldn't secure the Heishan Town project, the company would undoubtedly go bankrupt. All these years of hard work would be in vain, and Lu Kanghua was unwilling to accept it.

Just thinking about Su Mu being in charge of the Heishan Town project made Lu Kanghua feel his future was bleak. It was truly a case of cause and effect, and he regretted his past actions.

"Don't bully the poor young man, it's truly a lesson!" Lu Kanghua muttered.

"Look at you, being so pessimistic. Wait, I'll go talk to our daughter. Maybe she can help smooth things over with Su Mu, and our Lu Family Construction Company can turn things around." Yan Chunhua said, then wiggled her plump hips and walked up the stairs.

"I hope it works!" Lu Kanghua said to himself.

"Success? It's a must. Meng Jiao is not clean, and she's quite promiscuous. People like her are usually afraid of death and will collect evidence in advance. So, Old Xu, you must handle this properly. Only then can we ensure we have Liang Zhong and his gang under control." Su Mu instructed.

The dinner last night was very enjoyable, and in the end, Xu Zhengcheng and Lin Shuang left together, while Su Mu and Xu Yan found a hotel to stay in.

Since it was Saturday the next day, Su Mu didn't rush back to Heishan Town but decided to visit his hometown. It had been two months since he last went back, and now that he was the mayor of a town, he felt he should make the trip.

Now, the two were having breakfast, and Su Mu was giving Xu Yan some instructions.

"Don't worry, I know what to do," Xu Yan said with a smile.

"Good, buy the necessary tools, don't be afraid to spend money. I'll reimburse you for whatever you spend," Su Mu said. "Remember, you must get evidence of Liang Tian's crimes!"

"Understood!" Xu Yan nodded.

"Alright, that's all. Once the main task is done, there's nothing else. The jeep outside is mine; I'm going back to my hometown." Su Mu smiled.

"You're going home? You should have said earlier. I'll get some gifts for you. I can't go home, but I should at least bring some gifts. Don't give me that nonsense, this is my way of showing respect to Uncle and Aunt, not bribery! Wait a moment!" Xu Yan got up and left.

"I..." Su Mu was about to stop him, but Xu Yan had already left. Fine, if Xu Yan wants to do it, let him. He'll bring some local specialties back, so Xu Yan won't have to spend too much.

Actually, Su Mu wasn't short of money. The money he had earned was enough to last him for a while, and the company in Shengjing City was ready to open. Once the company started, as a shareholder and the behind-the-scenes boss, Su Mu would have plenty of money.

And the money he earned through his own efforts made him feel comfortable. In the political arena, Su Mu knew it was easy to be corrupted, but he had his own principles, which was not to be greedy and not to take money that didn't belong to him. Of course, this didn't mean Su Mu's ideal was to be a clean official. In reality, being an official meant enjoying more benefits than ordinary people, which made it impossible to be as clean as water.

Su Mu's ideal was to be a good official, a solid and practical official who served the people, brought benefits to the area, and educated the people!

When Su Mu drove the jeep out of the county, the car was already loaded with several packs of cigarettes, bottles of alcohol, and some ready-to-eat food. He didn't say much and drove straight to Longjing Town.

Back in Jiang University, Su Mu had already obtained a driver's license and had even worked part-time as a taxi driver, so his driving skills were excellent.

Longjing Town, as a town under the jurisdiction of Xing Tang County, had a significantly higher economic level than Heishan Town. The straight and well-painted roads here were a clear indication. For Heishan Town to truly develop, the road from the town to the county must be improved.

Su Mu's hometown was Su Village in Longjing Town, a relatively remote village. Su Village was at the foot of a mountain, and when Su Mu was young, he often ran around the mountain, which helped him adapt to the mountains of Heishan Town. In fact, the mountain in Su Village was a branch of the Heishan Town mountain range.

The reason Su Village was called this was that everyone in the village had the surname Su. The Su surname was the only one in Su Village, though this was no longer the case after some development. However, the Su surname was still the dominant one, and no one could shake its position. The villagers were all related to each other.

"Grandpa San, are you here to bask in the sun?"

"Xiao Jiezi, where are you running? Stop right there!"

"Uncle Liu, is this a wild rabbit you just caught?"

...

The moment Su Mu drove the jeep into Su Village, the whole village became lively. Cars had come to the village before, but Su Mu, who was born and raised here, driving one back was a first. In fact, Su Mu was quite famous in Su Village.

Su Mu was an excellent student, the best among the college students from Su Village. He was also kind and often helped people in the village, which made him well-known. Now that he worked for the government, he was even more respected.

So when Su Mu drove the jeep to the village entrance, he had to greet someone with every step he took. Some greetings were initiated by him, and some by others. In short, Su Mu's return made Su Village very lively.

"Xiao Mu, come over in the evening, and have a drink with me, Grandpa San!"

"Sure, Grandpa San!"

"Mu, when I finish preparing this wild rabbit, I'll bring it over for you to eat."

"Uncle Liu, thank you, I'll go home first."

...

In such a lively atmosphere, Su Mu drove the car to his front door. Su Laocheng and Ye Cuilan, who had received the news, were already waiting outside. Seeing Su Mu get out of the car, Ye Cuilan happily welcomed him, while Su Laocheng smiled and held a pipe, smoking.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back!" Su Mu said with a smile.

"Good to have you back, good to have you back. Come in and rest. I sent Keke to buy some alcohol, and you and your dad can have a drink," Ye Cuilan said with a smile. Having Su Mu as a son was her greatest pride. Now, when she walked around Su Village, everyone looked up to her.

"Is Keke back too?" Su Mu took a bag of candy he had bought and threw it to Xiao Jiezi, and the group of young boys scattered.

"Yes, she came back yesterday because the school was on holiday. She was talking about you yesterday, and I didn't expect you to call this morning saying you'd be back today," Ye Cuilan said with a smile.

"That's perfect. I haven't seen that girl in a long time. Come, Dad, stop smoking those tobacco leaves, try mine." Su Mu smiled and took out a pack of Hongtashan, offering one to his father.

"Let's go inside and talk." Su Laocheng took the cigarette from his son, lit it, and enjoyed it. Smoking his son's cigarettes felt different.

"Mom, there are some things in the car, I'll get them!" Su Mu said, then picked up the cardboard box from the car, which contained the cigarettes and alcohol Xu Yan had brought.

When the three of them returned to the house and just sat down, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside, and a figure rushed in.

"Brother, you're really back!"

The one who spoke was a woman in a long dress, with a delicate appearance and sparkling eyes. She was Su Mu's younger sister, Su Ke.

Su Ke was five years younger than Su Mu and had just been admitted to Jiangnan University, where she was a freshman. She chose Jiangnan University not because she couldn't get into other schools, but because she had always admired Su Mu and wanted to study at the same university as her brother.

"Keke, you're a college student now, act more ladylike. Don't always shout like that!" Su Mu said affectionately.

"Hmph, who says I'm not ladylike? I'm very ladylike at school." Su Ke pouted. "Brother, did you bring me a gift?"

"No..." Su Mu drew out the word, then laughed as he saw Su Ke's mouth pout. "No, that's impossible. Here, a new phone, as a gift for your college life. And don't worry about the cost, I'll cover it all, just use it."

"Knew you were the best, Brother!" Su Ke exclaimed, snatching the phone.

Su Laocheng looked at the cigarettes and alcohol in the box, then at the new phone in Su Ke's hand. His originally happy face suddenly turned gloomy. He stubbed out his cigarette and glared at Su Mu, saying sternly, "Tell me, what's going on? Where did you get all this money? As a deputy mayor with no