Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapter 292, Section 293: A Powerful Dragon Insists on Suppressing a Local Snake
Half an hour later, Yu Yaojun, the general manager of Yaofa Engineering, arrived.

Lin Xiao glanced at his watch, quite shocked.

Yaofa Engineering is a local enterprise in Mashan County, and the company must be located in the county seat. Xingguang Town is more than 20 kilometers away from the county seat, and the road is a winding mountain road.

Lin Xiao's commute to and from work takes at least forty minutes each day.

From the moment Mr. Yu received Ge Tao's call to the moment he appeared before Lin Xiao, it only took him twenty-two minutes.

Lin Xiao didn't know how he did it.

"Mayor Lin, I've heard so much about you! I've heard so much about you!!"

Yu Yaojun looked to be under thirty years old, but he was pot-bellied, had an oily face, and wore a slicked-back hairstyle that was completely out of place with the green hills and clear waters. At first glance, he looked to be at least forty years old.

Even though Lin Xiao didn't judge people by their appearance, he immediately figured out where this Mr. Yu came from.

Yu Yaojun walked over with a big smile, bent over, and respectfully extended his hand.

Lin Xiao glanced at him up and down, his eyes sharp, but he showed no intention of reaching out his hand.

"Is it President Yu?" he asked calmly.

"No, no, you're too kind. Just call me Xiao Yu!"

Yu Yaojun was very humble, subtly withdrawing his hand and taking out a pack of cigarettes from his shoulder bag under his arm, then respectfully offering one to Yu Yaojun.

Lin Xiao waved his hand: "No, thank you!"

First he refused to shake hands, and then he declined to be offered a cigarette.

Even the most slick Yu Yaojun couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed at this moment, and turned to hand the cigarette to Deputy Mayor Ge Tao.

Ge Tao is a heavy smoker and rarely smokes such good brands.

So even though he knew Lin Xiao was very angry, he couldn't help but take the cigarette. Yao Jun lit it and then took two steps back to smoke.

Yu Yaojun was about to light one himself, but noticing the new town mayor's staring gaze, he awkwardly put it down.

"What are your instructions, Mayor Lin?" he asked with a smile.

"I can't say I gave orders, but there's something I'd like to discuss with General Manager Yu."

Lin Xiao looked around at the villagers and found that the group of old men who had been clamoring for an explanation just moments before had now retreated to the base of the wall.

Each of them looked cautious and anxious.

Lin Xiao was also surprised. He used to know that the people feared officials and thugs, but now times have really changed. Officials have "fallen" behind thugs.

This is progress in another sense.

From the expressions of these old men, Lin Xiao knew that Yu Yaojun, who seemed simple and honest, was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

But he wasn't afraid.

Whether you're a local tyrant or a vengeful ghost, we're going to settle this score today!

"This new village garden was built entirely by General Manager Yu, right?" Lin Xiao asked.

"Yes Yes!"

Yu Yaojun spoke earnestly, "Thanks to the leadership's support, our Yaofa Engineering won the bid for this project and then strictly followed the policies and requirements of the county and town to undertake the construction!"

Lin Xiao's brows furrowed even more.

This guy with the slicked-back hair had a keen sense of smell; he knew someone was there to cause trouble, so he immediately started using policy as a shield.

Lin Xiao became even angrier.

"Strictly follow the county and town policies? Mr. Yu, have you thought this through before you speak? The county and town want you to build a thatched hut, so that when it rains heavily outside, it drizzles inside?"

"Ah this..."

Yu Yaojun feigned surprise, "Mayor Lin, what are you saying? Although Yaofa Engineering is a small company, we have always been very strict in ensuring the quality of our projects. We would never allow any problems with the quality of our work. Especially since this is a government project, even if I had a hundred lives, I wouldn't dare to be careless. When the New Village Garden was first handed over, the quality was excellent, and it even made the front page of the Mashan County Daily..."

Yu Yaojun then changed the subject.

Lin Xiao waved his hand to interrupt: "Don't give me that. I'm asking you, are you aware of the widespread water leakage in this apartment complex?"

Yu Yaojun looked terrified: "I really don't know!"

Lin Xiao's anger flared up instantly.

"you do not know?!"

"I don't know. Neither the residents nor the town have told me... Is there some misunderstanding?" Yu Yaojun looked aggrieved.

"Ah!"

Lin Xiao was shocked, never expecting that President Yu could remain so calm in the face of danger.

He turned to the elderly men at the base of the wall and said, "Just now, these residents told me personally that the house is leaking, and it's not just the top floor. Whenever it rains, water seeps into the balconies and corners of almost every floor!"

"Is that so?!"

Yu Yaojun was even more surprised and turned to the old man in the corner, "Uncles, does your house really leak? It's okay, tell me if there's any problem, and as the developer, I will definitely resolve it for you!"

These words were uttered, but none of the dozen or so old men responded; they all looked panicked and wished they could disappear from the spot as soon as possible.

This reaction surprised Lin Xiao greatly.

Yu Yaojun turned his head with a smug look, then turned to Lin Xiao with a wronged expression and said, "Mayor, you see, we really haven't received any feedback. Is there some misunderstanding? After all, these residents are all from the village and are used to nailing nails and drilling holes in the walls. What if they accidentally damaged the wall and caused the leaks..."

Lin Xiao was speechless for a moment, having already grasped the situation.

Mashan County, a tiny place, only recently shed its label as an impoverished county, and its local economic development is severely limited.

Yu Yaojun looks to be under thirty years old, yet he manages to run a sizable construction company in such barren soil. One can only imagine the immense power behind that.

In a small place like Mashan County, those in power may change every three to five years, but those with influence remain the same group.

The villagers didn't recognize the out-of-town internet celebrity mayor, but they did recognize the local bully Yu Yaojun, so they naturally didn't dare to say anything, fearing retaliation in the future.

Lin Xiao realized this and felt a pang of regret.

It wasn't that he regretted getting involved in the matter; after all, it was his duty.

What he regretted was that he shouldn't have impulsively called Yu Yaojun to the scene, allowing him to suppress the villagers so much that they dared not speak the truth, which made things even more difficult.

But even if it's difficult, we have to do it!

After a brief moment of thought, Lin Xiao quickly adjusted his mindset and gave the amiable Yu Yaojun a friendly smile.

"Mr. Yu looks quite young. How old are you this year?" Lin Xiao asked.

"Ok?"

Yu Yaojun was taken aback by the question and almost couldn't respond.

I thought to myself, "Weren't they just so tense, like they were about to eat me alive? Why are they suddenly starting to chat like old friends? Did they realize they can't mess with me and are starting to be nice to me?"

"I'm twenty-nine, thirty by the traditional Chinese age reckoning," Yu Yaojun replied with a smile.

"Wow, he's indeed young and promising!"

"No, no, I'm just running a small business, barely making a living. I'm nothing like Mayor Lin, who is young, promising, and talented. People all over the country know your name!"

Yu Yaojun praised him sincerely.

After all, this was like a fantasy to him, and this was the first time he had ever met a real "celebrity".

Lin Xiao waved his hand dismissively: "Hey, those are just hobbies, they have nothing to do with my job. Unlike President Yu, who manages such a big company at such a young age, it's truly remarkable!"

Yu Yaojun blushed slightly at the praise.

Even if he's shameless, he wouldn't dare to accept such a statement easily.

After all, it's obvious that it's impossible for someone under thirty to run a construction company and secure government projects.

Even a fool could see that his title of "general manager" was definitely inflated, and by a significant margin.

"You're too kind, you're too kind..." Yu Yaojun didn't dare to say more and awkwardly replied.

"Mr. Yu, you know that the merger of villages and towns in Xingguang Town is not over yet, right?"

"I know, this is a huge project!"

"So you also know that the Xincun Garden project theoretically has a second and third phase, right?"

"um, yes."

“There aren’t many local construction companies in Mashan County, and even fewer that are qualified to undertake housing construction. Your Yaofa Engineering is the most outstanding one!”

Lin Xiao's smile remained calm, but his demeanor suddenly shifted. "Because you have a monopoly, President Yu is certain that no matter how many phases of the New Village Garden project are built, it will all fall into your hands, is that right?"

The sudden rebuke caught Yu Yaojun off guard. He wondered if people in the entertainment industry all had the ability to change their expressions.

"No, no, no, I wouldn't dare think that way. The bidding process for this project was entirely legal and compliant..."

Don't give me that!

Lin Xiao waved his hand, directly cutting off the man with the slicked-back hair, and said coldly, "Before you came, I had already walked around to each house, and two-thirds of the houses had large areas of mold and mildew on the walls caused by water damage—these houses have only been handed over for less than a year, and you call this a public welfare project? It's a shoddy construction project!"
"It's an undeniable fact that this house leaks, and you still dare to deny it? I've certainly seen something new today! But it's fine, you don't have to admit it, I don't need you to!"
“The project was tendered by the county’s Housing and Construction Bureau. That afternoon, I went to the county to find their director and reviewed all the bidding materials from that year. I wanted to see how your shoddy, third-rate company won the bid!”

A few cold words came out, leaving Yu Yaojun completely dumbfounded.

My subconscious thought was: He even needs to go to the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau to check the bidding documents? What a load of bull! A mere town mayor doesn't have that kind of authority…

But before the thought could last two seconds, he voluntarily stopped.

Upon realizing who the father-in-law of this internet-famous town mayor was, Yu Yaojun immediately fell silent.

He hadn't actually been the general manager for more than two years. He relied on his powerful connections, so he was able to get along with leaders at all levels with ease.

There hasn't been a single mistake in the past two years.

Before coming here today, he had already adopted a much more humble attitude than usual because of Lin Xiao's background and connections.

Unexpectedly, Lin Xiao didn't buy into his act at all and did things completely unpredictably.

Yu Yaojun is now completely overwhelmed, and all his previous tactics have failed him. Admittedly, he is not afraid of being investigated.

In a small town, everyone knows each other; who doesn't know who?
The problem is that Mayor Lin is not a local; he comes from outside and has a very powerful background.

It's said that monks from other places are better at chanting scriptures.

Yu Yaojun had a good grasp of local relationships, but he really didn't have the confidence to continue being the local bully who could overpower the powerful outsider who came out with four trump cards.

After much thought, Yu Yaojun realized that this situation was quite different from the past.

After hesitating for a long time, I decided to back down and be safe.

"Mayor Lin, you're exaggerating. Why bother the leaders of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau?"

Yu Yaojun smiled broadly, then pretended to be serious and said, "The new village garden was built by our company. Regardless of whether there is a leak or not, if the villagers are not comfortable living here, we have to fix it until everyone is satisfied!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao knew that General Manager Yu had given in.

He should know when to stop and focus on solving practical problems.

Unfortunately, he doesn't get angry easily, but once he does, he can't stop until he's vented his anger!
"No, Mr. Yu, ensuring people's livelihood is the responsibility of the county and town governments. We don't need your company to do charity."

Lin Xiao sneered, "Since you say there are no quality issues with this house, fine, I'm determined not to let your charitable enterprise suffer losses. I'll find a way to fix the house; you don't need to worry about it!"

This sentence contained a lot of information, and Yu Yaojun was so frightened that his legs trembled and he almost peed himself.

Lin Xiao was saying on the surface that Yaofa Engineering would not be needed for repairs, but in reality, he was saying that this matter was not over and he would definitely investigate it to the end.

Regardless of whether he can actually produce anything of value.

If he really investigates, and investigates persistently, the higher-ups will naturally have a headache.

Even if there were a way to deal with Mayor Lin, given his powerful background, there was no way to do anything to him.

That overwhelming anger would naturally be vented on Yu Yaojun without reservation, and the consequences would be far greater than spending some money to repair those leaky houses.

Just thinking about it made Yu Yaojun's heart tremble uncontrollably.

"Mayor Lin, what...what is this all about? It's unnecessary!"

"Why not! You're making me sound like a scoundrel. There's clearly nothing wrong with your house, yet I'm begging your company to pay for the repairs. Do you think I, Lin Xiao, am such a shameless person?"

"You're not, of course you're not!"

Yu Yaojun hurriedly said, "My house does have problems. The quality control wasn't done well during construction. As the boss, I take full responsibility—I'll fix it, I'll fix it right now. I'll immediately arrange for a complete overhaul of the community and absolutely solve the leaking problem!"

After hearing these words, Ge Tao, who was watching the battle nearby, and the villagers who were paying attention in the distance were all stunned.

Ge Tao was fine with it, but knowing Lin Xiao's background and origins, he felt that Lin Xiao was qualified to go toe-to-toe with Yu Yaojun and the forces behind him!

But the villagers didn't know.

All they knew was that the new town mayor was so young, and although he seemed very enthusiastic about solving problems, this greenhorn was definitely no match for Yu Yaojun, this local thug. So the house repair project was probably doomed!

Unexpectedly, the town mayor was so tough that he managed to embarrass Yu Yaojun, who almost knelt down and begged for mercy.

The way the dozen or so old men looked at Lin Xiao had changed drastically; they now regarded him as a god descending from heaven.

Under everyone's gaze, Lin Xiao's cold expression remained unchanged.

"Mr. Yu, please think carefully before you speak—is there a problem with the house?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Yu Yaojun bent over two inches more, a forced, ingratiating smile on his face. "I was lying through my teeth just now. I was mainly afraid the leaders would think our Yaofa project's construction quality was substandard and put us on a blacklist. I deserve to die."

"Actually, the leak is a minor issue; it can be fixed with time and effort. It's not a big problem. I believe that as long as we resolve this issue, the county leaders and Mayor Lin will definitely give us another chance... right, Mayor Lin?"

This last question was asked in a very ingratiating tone, pleading with Lin Xiao to be lenient.

Lin Xiao gave a cold laugh.

Now that I've vented my anger and gotten the response I wanted, there's really no need to get entangled with this guy any longer.

"Mr. Yu, how long do you plan to take to fix this leak?"

"This requires checking every household, and each family's situation is different. It will take at least two or three months..."

"I'll give you a week!"

"A week?!"

Yu Yaojun screamed until his voice cracked, then hurriedly bowed, "Leader, Mayor, one week is too much, so many units and so many houses..."

Lin Xiao waved his hand, too lazy to listen to his nonsense.

"Just one week! I'll come check the repairs next week today. If it's fixed, all's fine. If not... you wait!"

After saying that, he called to Lao Ge, who was still in a daze, and turned to leave.

Yu Yaojun didn't dare to chase after them, and kept stamping his feet behind them.

……

That evening, at a high-end restaurant in Mashan County.

Haitang Hall private room.

Yu Yaojun brought four bottles of his prized wines and ordered a table full of wild delicacies, awaiting the arrival of his distinguished guest.

It's 7:05.

The door to the private room was pushed open, and a dark-skinned middle-aged man strode in and sat down in the main seat without saying a word.

Yu Yaojun kept looking back.

"Stop looking, there's no one else, it's just me!" the middle-aged man said in a muffled voice.

"Uncle, why did you come by yourself?"

Yu Yaojun said anxiously, "Didn't we agree that you would ask Mayor Lin to come over and put in a good word for me, to let the matter of the leaking house in Xincun Garden be dropped—even if you can't, at least give me a few more days to repair the house..."

The middle-aged man, with his triangular eyes, glared at her with increasing anger upon hearing this.

Yu Yaojun was immediately speechless.

"You want me to plead for them? Everyone in the country knows who they are, don't you? You want me to plead for you? You think too highly of your uncle!"

"Of course I know his background, but so what if he has a powerful background?"

Recalling the humiliation he suffered at noon that day, Yu Yaojun was filled with anger and said resentfully, "As the saying goes, a local official is more powerful than a distant one. Even if he has a powerful father-in-law, he's currently in Mashan County, the mayor of Xingguang Town, while you are the county..."

"Stop right there!!" the middle-aged man shouted suddenly!
"There's no one else here, you don't need to be so cautious!"

Yu Yaojun rolled his eyes helplessly. He really couldn't understand why these people were all like this; the greater their power, the smaller their courage.

"No matter what, you're of a higher rank than that brat. As long as he's in Xingguang Town, he'll be suppressed by you every day. How dare he not give you face?" Yu Yaojun became more and more smug as he spoke.

"He really dares to do that!"

The middle-aged man said with a hint of self-deprecation.

Yu Yaojun was stunned.

"Do you think he was just trying to scare you when he told you at noon that he was going to the Housing and Construction Bureau to check the bidding documents?"

"This……"

"I'm telling you, he's capable of doing it, and nobody can stop him!"

"How can this be!"

Yu Yaojun still didn't believe it. "Even if he has a powerful father-in-law, he wouldn't dare to be so arrogant, would he? A small town mayor actually dares to go directly to the Housing and Construction Bureau to check the bidding documents. This doesn't follow proper procedures."

The middle-aged man sneered: "Procedures? Did your Yaofa Engineering win the bid for the Xincun Garden project in accordance with procedures?"

Yu Yaojun was speechless.

"Now everyone in the country knows who Lin Xiao's son-in-law is, and even the director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau knows!"

The middle-aged man said coldly, "Our Mashan County is under the jurisdiction of Yizhou City. No matter how far away the emperor is, Han Haijun is the one who controls our future and destiny! Lin Xiao came to our door. Although checking the bidding documents is not in accordance with the rules, do you think Director Dai should choose his own future or choose to adhere to the rules and procedures?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Yaojun fell even more speechless.

He was used to being a local tyrant, and only knew that he could run rampant in Mashan County and didn't care about anyone.

Even though I knew that Mashan County was under the jurisdiction of Yizhou, I didn't really understand it.

Therefore, Lin Xiao's status as the son-in-law of the Han Navy was impressive to him, but he didn't think it would have any impact on him, nor did he think that this identity would be of any use in his work.

Only now does he realize that because he is not part of the system, there are some things he will never understand.

"So... even you can't persuade him?" Yu Yaojun was very disappointed.

"It's not that we can't invite them, it's that it's unnecessary!"

"Why not?"

Yu Yaojun was almost in tears. "Uncle, I didn't make much money on the Xincun Garden project. Now the houses are leaking all over the place, and all my profits won't be enough to cover the repairs. This arrogant town mayor needs it urgently, and I have to hire extra people... This deal is a huge loss!"

The middle-aged man had a look of disappointment on his face.

"Aren't you just focused on this little bit of money? Don't you have any long-term vision?"

The man said coldly, "The new village garden has only been built in its first phase, with less than 600 people relocated from the village. According to Xingguang Town's plan, at least another 2000 people will be relocated to the town. Based on the scale, there will be at least a second, third, and fourth phase!"
"This is just the size of one town. Although Xingguang Town is a key town in the consolidation and merger of villages, it doesn't mean that other towns aren't doing this. Once this work is rolled out across the entire county, you can calculate for yourself how massive the project will be."

Yu Yaojun's eyes lit up.

The middle-aged man continued, "Xingguang Town is now a model project for merging villages and towns. The whole county, and even the entire Yizhou City, are watching its results. You were too presumptuous before. You built a model project to this quality. How can you be so shameless!"
"Xingguang Town is a wretched place, poor and desolate, with no economy and no development. It's not easy to get a key project, and the town mayor, who's eager to advance his career, will naturally be very enthusiastic about it. But you've made such a mess of it, aren't you just blatantly going against them? No wonder Mayor Lin won't give you a good look!"

"So, while we can still fix it, let's fix it properly! If we keep this Mayor Lin in check, I can get involved in the second and third phases of the project later, and there will still be a chance to slip the project into your hands. Then, why would we be worried about not making back this money?"

These words made Yu Yaojun's eyes light up completely, and his previously frustrated heart suddenly felt relieved.

(End of this chapter)