Chapter 71

(Bows in gratitude for the two monthly votes from "Sangwu Wan Zhi"!)

Zhou Mings large fist, the size of a hot pot, smashed into Ma Lin's face, and with a cry of pain, Ma Lin was knocked to the ground. He clutched his face with both hands, lying on the ground in obvious agony.

Zhou Ming, however, paid no attention to him. Instead, he turned to Chief Yang and said, "Chief Yang, I just hit him like this, but he continued to insult me, so I kicked him again, just like this."

As he spoke, Zhou Ming stepped forward and kicked Ma Lin in the face again. There was a loud crack, and a tooth fell out from between his fingers.

Everyone stood there in shock, their mouths agape, unable to speak. The scene was too shocking. Chief Yang of the police station was right there, yet Zhou Ming had just beaten Ma Lin in front of him. What was going on?

It was Ma Jianjun who reacted first. He pointed at Zhou Ming and said, "You... Zhou Ming, you are really too arrogant! You actually dared to hit Ma Lin again. Are you really above the law?"

Then Ma Jianjun turned to Chief Yang, who was equally shocked, and said, "Chief Yang, you saw it. How lawless is Zhou Ming? You must arrest him right away!"

Faced with Ma Jianjun's emotional outburst, Chief Yang's mouth moved, but he didn't know what to say. He had been ordered to help Zhou Ming, but he didn't know how to respond to Ma Jianjun.

At this moment, Zhou Ming said to Chief Yang, "Chief Yang, I think Factory Director Ma is being too emotional. I was just helping you reenact the scene. How is this lawless? I think he is just slandering me."

"Reenact the scene?" Ma Jianjun screamed like a dog whose tail had been stepped on. "What kind of reenactment is this? You are clearly assaulting and even trying to kill someone. Look, you've made Ma Lin's mouth and nose bleed, and you even knocked out his tooth. Look at how hard you hit him. Are you still trying to deny it, Chief Yang? Are you even a police officer? Why don't you arrest him?"

Compared to Ma Jianjun's hysteria, Zhou Ming was much calmer. He said, "Chief Yang, I want to report Factory Director Ma. He is defaming me, insulting my reputation, and even physically attacking me."

"Reputation? Ha! You little bastard, what right do you have to talk about this? You don't deserve to say this. Physical attack? What physical attack? You hit Ma Lin in front of everyone. Do you think we are all blind? If you want to talk about physical attacks, I'll show you one!"

With that, Ma Jianjun lunged at Zhou Ming, but Zhou Ming was prepared. He kicked him away and turned to Chief Yang, saying, "Chief Yang, you saw it. I was just defending myself."

"What defense? I think you are just assaulting him! Chief Yang, aren't you going to do anything?" Ma Jianjun, holding his stomach, pointed at Zhou Ming.

Chief Yang's face darkened, and he finally said through gritted teeth, "Enough! I am the chief of the police station! From what I saw, Mr. Zhou was indeed reenacting the scene for me, and you, Factory Director Ma, did indeed look like you were about to harm Mr. Zhou. Mr. Zhou's actions in self-defense were reasonable and legal."

"What?" Ma Jianjun stared at Chief Yang in disbelief. "Are you kidding? What kind of reenactment is this? What kind of self-defense? This is clearly assault. Chief Yang, you are not only not arresting him but also defending him. Are you even the chief of the police station? Are you even a police officer? Whose side are you on?"

Seeing Ma Jianjun cursing like a泼妇 (shrew), Zhou Ming couldn't help but feel worried about his intelligence. It was obvious that Chief Yang was on his side, yet Ma Jianjun was still cursing. Wasn't he just asking for trouble?

Sure enough, Chief Yang shouted, "Shut up! I am a police officer, and because I am a police officer, I must protect the rights of every citizen. I have seen everything Mr. Zhou did, and it was all reasonable and legal. On the contrary, if you continue to cause a disturbance, I will arrest you!"

If it were any other time, Ma Jianjun would have recognized the situation, but the series of events had completely clouded his judgment.

So he shouted back, "Fine, come and arrest me! I see through you. You and Zhou Ming are in cahoots. I will report you to the higher authorities!"

"You really need to see a coffin before you cry," Chief Yang spat, about to grab Ma Jianjun. At this moment, Huang Zheng, who had just come to his senses, hurriedly stepped forward to explain, "Chief Yang, don't be angry. Factory Director Ma is just talking nonsense. You saw it, he was just upset because he saw a child being bullied."

"Being bullied is no excuse for losing control. He is a deputy factory director, not a child!" Chief Yang coldly said, "Also, County Bureau Chief Guo will be here soon. You better leave now!"

"What? Chief Guo is coming too?"

Huang Zheng was surprised. He could understand Chief Yang coming to help Zhou Ming, but he didn't expect the County Bureau Chief to come personally. What lie had Zhou Ming told? But this was good. The bigger the lie, the worse the consequences. As long as you are in the factory, I will find a way to deal with you. We'll see about that!

Thinking this, Huang Zheng nodded and tried to calm Ma Jianjun down. Zhou Ming didn't hear what they said, but Ma Jianjun was initially as surprised as Huang Zheng. However, he soon calmed down, glared at Zhou Ming, and then left with Ma Lin.

Zhou Ming didn't say anything as they left. From their behavior, it was clear that Chief Yang had some concerns. He probably had some connection with Huang Zheng and Ma Jianjun, and was only speaking on Zhou Ming's side because of orders from his superiors. But he might not really think that way.

Therefore, some things should be left at that. If he pushed Chief Yang too hard, he might lose his nerve and start acting recklessly, which would be counterproductive. After all, the local official is more powerful than the county official!

As for Huang Zheng and Ma Jianjun, Zhou Ming didn't know what they said, but he imagined they were plotting how to take revenge. But do you even have the chance?

Thinking this, Zhou Ming turned to Chief Yang, who asked, "Mr. Zhou, are you okay?"

Zhou Ming shook his head and said, "I'm fine. Thank you, Chief Yang, for coming in time."

Chief Yang said, "Mr. Zhou, you are too kind. I am just following orders from my superiors to protect the safety of Hong Kong investors in Linyang."

Zhou Ming asked, "Is Chief Guo really coming?"

Chief Yang nodded and said, "Yes, Chief Guo will come to comfort Mr. Zhou on behalf of the county government."

"Thank you very much."

Zhou Ming then returned to his parents. Seeing their stunned expressions, he said, "Mom, Dad, what's wrong? Don't you recognize me?"

Zhou Ming's parents finally came to their senses. His mother, Wang Fengqin, quickly examined him and asked anxiously, "Are you hurt? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

His father, Zhou Guoping, asked, "Zhou Ming, what's going on? Why did Chief Yang say you are a Hong Kong businessman? And is it true that County Bureau Chief Guo is coming?"

In front of his parents, Zhou Ming had nothing to hide. He nodded and said, "Yes, I made some money in Hong Kong through connections in Nanjiang and a few friends. I plan to buy the 760 Factory, so I am a Hong Kong investor. The country is undergoing reform and opening up, so the county government naturally wants to treat me well."

"You are just making things up!" Wang Fengqin said. "We will wait for Chief Guo to come, and then we will go back to our hometown tonight, okay?"

Hearing his mother's words, Zhou Ming knew she, like Huang Zheng, didn't believe he was a Hong Kong businessman. But she was much better than Huang Zheng and wouldn't assume the worst. She probably thought Zhou Ming had made some money in Hong Kong and was using the title of a Hong Kong businessman to get the county government's attention to protect himself from Huang Zheng and others.

But this is still a lie!

If it were a regular lie, it would be fine, but Zhou Ming was lying to the government. This was a serious offense, especially with the factory's restructuring underway. After today's incident, once Huang Zheng and Ma Jianjun took over the factory, wouldn't they take even more severe revenge?

This was why his mother suggested going back to their hometown to hide.

Thinking this, Zhou Ming said to his mother, "Mom, don't worry. I'm not the same person I was two months ago."

Wang Fengqin smiled, "Of course, you've seen the world in Hong Kong!"

Zhou Ming felt a bit helpless. From his mother's tone, she still didn't believe him. But it was understandable. His parents had low education levels and had spent their whole lives in the 760 Factory, a closed environment. They had never traveled far. In their eyes, Hong Kong tycoons were extremely wealthy. How could he, who had only been away for two months with only a few ten thousand yuan, have made so much money in such a short time? To them, he was just trying to comfort them.

Zhou Ming didn't say much about it. It was better that his parents didn't know. After all, too much money could be a burden, especially for his honest and simple parents. If they knew he had become rich overnight, they might start worrying and even suspect he had done something illegal. If they worried so much that they couldn't sleep, it would turn a good thing into a bad one.

---

(AD begins)

(AD ends)