Chapter 10

Ye Fan looked up and smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "Hehe! It's Director Zhao! Are you really going to do it? You're a police officer, after all."

"What's there to be afraid of? Food, sex, and nature! I don't know who said it, but it makes a lot of sense," Zhao Tiehai said without any reservation. "Brother Ye, the girl Chunshui in your group is quite pretty. Remember, don't let the rabbit eat the grass near its den! She's a thorny flower, don't get hurt."

"High-level!" Ye Fan gave a thumbs up, "Am I that kind of person? But..."

"Ha ha ha..."

By the faucet, two Southern Fire Wolves burst into a wild, lecherous laugh.

"Hmph! What are you two big shots up to? I can tell from your faces that it's nothing good!" Li Chunshui, holding a dirty rag, came out of the doorway and huffed.

"Little girls should mind their own business when it comes to men's affairs," Zhao Tiehai said with a smug chuckle.

"Right! Not suitable for children," Ye Fan chimed in.

"Whatever! I don't want to deal with you."

Li Chunshui's face flushed as she washed and wiped the tablecloth, walking with a catwalk. Whether she was intentionally performing for Ye Fan, Zhao Tiehai found it a bit strange. Li Chunshui usually didn't act this way; she seemed like a pure mountain girl. The two wolves drooled for a while, and Zhao Tiehai sighed strangely, "Brother, it's weird! That girl has a thing for you."

"What are you thinking, Director Zhao? I heard you're still a bachelor. You can go for it!" Ye Fan retorted.

"Forget it! I'm just a high school graduate and a former soldier. A pretty college girl like Chunshui wouldn't be interested. Well, brother, let's go! Drop by the station for some tea when you have time."

Zhao Tiehai patted Ye Fan's shoulder and gave him a strange look before leaving. In fact, Zhao Tiehai had been a captain in the military, but he was discharged early for breaking the rules while saving a comrade. He was only 25 and still single.

The next morning at 8 o'clock, Ye Fan arrived at the office on time. Su Jiazheng pouted, raised her eyebrows, and gave him a fiery smile, saying that Secretary Qin had something to discuss. Since their first meeting, Su Jiazheng had heard that Ye Fan was a top student from Haijiang University and that he wasn't bad-looking, just meeting the threshold for being handsome. Her behavior was a bit strange and fiery, giving Ye Fan the feeling that she was subtly flirting.

Haijiang University was one of the top-ranked prestigious schools in China. In Yuyang County, no one had been admitted to such a prestigious school in the past decade, so it was no small feat.

Excited, Ye Fan went to Secretary Qin's office on the fifth floor, sitting upright and waiting for instructions.

"Ye Fan! When you get to Tianshui Dam, you must remain calm. I don't need to say much about your academic background. However, working in the grassroots in rural areas is a different story. It's not easy, and the farmers there are not easy to deal with, especially in Tianshui Dam. If you encounter any difficulties, call us immediately. Learn to be patient and don't let your youthful enthusiasm ruin your work. As the leader of the Tianshui Dam work team, we believe you can do a good job..."

Secretary Qin, a former military officer, spoke with a straightforward military tone. He felt somewhat embarrassed and very concerned about sending a young man to such a challenging place.

After a long lecture, he stared at Ye Fan for a few moments and said seriously, "Ye Fan, when you get to Tianshui Dam, also investigate the matter of Deputy Mayor Wu. Of course, do this discreetly and don't alarm too many people. Report directly to me, and don't leak any information. This is a matter of organizational discipline. I've reviewed your resume; you're a probationary party member, which shows your high level of awareness. You'll soon be a full member, and I trust you..."

Secretary Qin stopped abruptly.

Though Ye Fan tried to maintain a calm exterior, his heart was racing. He had heard that Deputy Mayor Wu's death was related to a trip to Tianshui Dam. Could his death be connected to Tianshui Dam?

His mission to Tianshui Dam was ostensibly to work, but in reality, it was to investigate. What puzzled Ye Fan even more was that Deputy Secretary Cai Dajiang had spoken similarly to Secretary Qin at the 'Hundred Flavors Pavilion' the day before.

What was strange was that both required Ye Fan to report directly to them, as if they hadn't coordinated. This made the situation seem very suspicious. Could Secretary Qin and Deputy Secretary Cai be involved in Deputy Mayor Wu's suicide? Were they both trying to make a move on this matter?

Ye Fan's mind raced as he descended the stairs, feeling a cold sweat breaking out. He felt like a small insect caught in a whirlpool, unable to control his fate. At that moment, he truly understood the feeling of being at the mercy of circumstances.

If he really uncovered something about Deputy Mayor Wu, who should he report to? Reporting to either would offend the other. There was no such thing as a completely sealed wall, and this dilemma left Ye Fan feeling extremely frustrated. He decided to hide in the toilet, smoke a cigarette, and let out a few angry shouts. He couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it.

"Damn it, I'm not afraid of anything. A barefoot man has nothing to fear from a man in shoes. There's always a way when you reach the mountain. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Deputy Mayor Wu might have nothing to do with Tianshui Dam. Worrying too much is just making trouble for myself..."

The three-person team gathered and went downstairs. Ye Fan circled the government building but didn't see any car or pickup. The party office director, Mr. Wang, had said a special car was arranged for Tianshui Dam.

By the entrance, a large tricycle was parked. Just as Ye Fan was puzzled, he saw his team members, Liu Chi and Li Chunshui, loading their luggage and other essentials onto the tricycle.

"Leader Ye, are you just standing there? Get in!" Li Chunshui shouted at Ye Fan.

"Is... is this the vehicle to Tianshui Dam?"

Ye Fan nearly dropped his jaw, but he managed to swallow the words "special car."

This large tricycle was powered by a diesel engine and made a loud "thump thump" sound like thunder. It was generally used for cargo, with no roof for rain protection, but it had an impressive load capacity, rated for one ton but capable of carrying nearly two tons.

"Hehe! Leader Ye, this is already pretty good. Otherwise, we'd have to walk until our feet were paralyzed," Liu Chi joked. He knew Ye Fan wouldn't expect this. Honestly, Liu Chi didn't want to be the leader of the Tianshui Dam work team, but he was still a bit uncomfortable and不服气 (unwilling to accept it).

Since he didn't dare to do it, he hoped others would fail, which would highlight his own wisdom. So he decided to be消极怠工 (negatively slack) and avoid work whenever possible, creating obstacles when he could, but also depending on the situation.

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