In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 121 Wei Family Criminal Intelligence
At 5 p.m., Zhang Like arrived at the office, accompanied by another person.

A middle-aged man in his thirties with a full beard, wearing a police uniform.

Without needing to guess, Lu Zhao already knew the other party's identity: the head of the town's security office.

At this moment, both of them were covered in sweat, and their clothes were completely soaked.

Zhang Like complained, "What a bunch of troublemakers! Everyone could have dried their grain by lining up one by one, but they all had to crowd together. After two days of this commotion, not a single person could dry their grain."

Lu Zhao asked, "You didn't hit anyone, did you?"

Before setting off, he specifically instructed Zhang Like not to hit anyone, or at least not to make the first move.

In this era without the internet, many things were done openly. Zhang Like and the soldiers in his company didn't see anything wrong with it, as long as they weren't attacking their hometown people.

Zhang Like answered truthfully: "Without taking action, there's no way to deter others."

"You have no idea, some jerk spat in my face, how could I not fight him?"

"They definitely deserved to be hit."

Lu Zhao turned to look at the man in police uniform, who immediately straightened his back, saluted, and said, "Good morning, Chief Lu. I am Huang Qifeng, the director of the police station in Maijiu Town."

"Hello, thank you very much for your help this time, Comrade Huang."

Lu Zhao saluted in return, then invited the other person to sit down on the sofa.

The three sat down, with Lu Zhao and Zhang Like on the left and Huang Qifeng on the right.

Lu Zhao got straight to the point: "Today I contacted five local police stations and one suburban police station, and only Comrade Huang responded to me and offered his help. I would like to express my gratitude here."

Huang Qifeng waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Commander Lu, you flatter me. This is all I should do."

Township-level police station chiefs are merely clerks and are unlikely to be promoted unless someone promotes them.

Lu Zhao, a powerful local official, already stood above thousands of people, and had the power of life and death over him.

He was indeed Zhao De's man, but he was just a minor official, so he naturally needed to show respect to Lu Zhao.

One reason is his official position, and another reason is his age.

At twenty-six, a junior official is just one step away from becoming an official; his future is incredibly bright.

He continued, "Regarding today's events, a high-ranking leader actually spoke up, saying that we shouldn't get involved in this matter."

Lu Zhao asked, "Wei Jiahong, right?"

Huang Qifeng nodded slightly and replied, "Mayor Wei now holds absolute power in Fangshi, and all departments are staffed by his people."

Lu Zhao and Zhang Like appeared normal; they knew all of this.

Seeing this, Huang Qifeng went further and said, "The Wei family controls the production and distribution of grain in Fangshi. Their Wei's Grain and Rice Group resells rice every year."

Lu and Zhang exchanged a glance and immediately perked up.

All federal rice is procured through a unified system; no grain company, whether state-owned or not, has the authority to purchase rice from farmers.

They can only buy from the federal government, and the price is generally twice the purchase price, with rice averaging around 2,000 yuan per ton.

They process the products and then sell them on the market.

Overall, it's a sure-fire way to make money, but it requires connections to get it done.

Buying directly from farmers is illegal.

Lu Zhao asked, "How did you know?"

Huang Qifeng replied, "Because they have a branch in my town, and their price is ten dollars higher than the federal purchase price. Every year, a large number of farmers go there to sell their grain."

“They don’t even try to hide the fact that this is illegal,” Zhang Like couldn’t help but sigh. “They originally bought the goods from the Federal Reserve for two thousand yuan a ton, but this is just stealing food from the Federal Reserve.”

Lu Zhao frowned slightly.

By doing this, the Wei family might seem to be giving the farmers an extra ten dollars, but in reality, it will increase the burden on everyone. Federal funds will more or less benefit the general public, but once they go into the Wei family's pockets, not a single drop will flow out.

Huang Qifeng said, "Actually, there have been reports all along, but they have basically gone unanswered. A few years ago, there was even a case of someone dying. That's all I know."

Having said that, the pledge of allegiance has been submitted.

Lu Zhao said in a friendly manner, "We are all in the public security system, so please take care of me if anything happens in the future. If Comrade Huang doesn't mind, he can be promoted to the border station."

The information provided by the other side was limited and insufficient to be decisive.

But as the saying goes, "spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones" means you have to let others know that there are benefits to relying on you.

"Thank you, Commander Lu!"

Huang Qifeng's joy was evident.

The border station has deputy and chief officials, which is a much higher rank than his lousy security post.

Ordinary people don't have the right to choose their leaders; it's already quite good if a leader takes a liking to them. If Lu Zhao can offer a suitable price, he's willing to submit.

Huang Qifeng sometimes wondered if Zhao Shizhi could ever come back.

This is also the reason for supporting fellow townsmen; most federal officials are recruited through their own examinations and do not have a strong personal dependence on their superiors.

Especially in modern societies governed by the rule of law, there is no reason why disloyalty should result in execution.

After Huang Qifeng left, Zhang Like asked, "Old Lu, what should we do next? Can we ask Team Leader Lin to use his connections to take down the Wei family?"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Lu Zhao shook his head and said, "The special task force was killed before, which is why we were able to take advantage of the situation. Now that we don't have any substantial evidence, taking action rashly will only alert them."

"And finding Team Leader Lin isn't free."

Ever since he helped Zhang Like get a promotion, Lu Zhao had vaguely sensed Lin Zhiyan's perverse sense of humor and a kind of unspoken rule.

The more you want, the more you need to obey.

This rule can also be applied to most families: the more help you seek from home, the more discipline you will receive.

Moreover, relying on connections every time you encounter a problem is not a good thing.

Zhang Like said nonchalantly, "So what if we sacrifice some beautiful women? We're penniless, what else does the Lin Group want besides you?"

Lu Zhao's face darkened, and he said, "If you want to sell, then go sell."

"I'd like to, but I don't have the nerve to do it."

Zhang Like looked Lu Zhao up and down. Recently, Lu Zhao had not had to go out in the wind and sun, and with his vitality steadily improving, his whole demeanor was different.

Her skin is visibly rosy; if she were to whiten it further, she would be absolutely stunning.

"Tell me, what exactly are you planning to do? If we can't get it sorted out within ten days, we'll get criticized by our superiors."

The best solution he could think of now was for it to start raining tomorrow. As long as it kept raining, even if all the grain went moldy, they wouldn't be to blame.

Lu Zhao said, "I plan to convene all village officials and villager representatives. Since it's a problem of drying rice for the villagers, let's get the villagers to solve it."

Will they listen to you?

Zhang Like frowned slightly, clearly still recovering from today's ordeal.

"If you ask me, we should gather all the officials and have an open and honest talk with them. As the top local official, if you provide some guarantees, I believe some of them will waver."

“It’s not that I don’t trust farmers, it’s just that things are too chaotic right now. You haven’t been there, so you don’t know. The threshing ground is just the beginning. There are so many problems in the village, such as water supply, grain delivery, and harvesting, that you can’t solve with just a few words.”

Mobilizing farmers is effective; everyone in modern times knows the power of the masses.

But this force isn't something anyone can command. Throughout history, very few people have been able to unite a scattered crowd into a cohesive force. It's not as simple as just standing up and shouting a few words and expecting a response; people will only think, "Who the hell are you?"

Even though Lu Zhao has worked diligently over the years and has gained some reputation in the surrounding area, Zhang Like does not believe that he can command the 200,000 people in his jurisdiction.

Because what we are currently facing is the basic survival problem of farmers.

He said sincerely, "To put it bluntly, our border station's reputation has long been ruined by Lü Jinshan, and the local reputation has also been ruined by the Wei family."

Lu Zhao remained noncommittal, saying, "We should at least try. If that doesn't work, we'll look for other methods."

"Alright, you're the commander, I'll listen to you."

Zhang Like got up and left, not forgetting to say something sarcastic to Lu Zhao before he left: "Group Leader Lin is beautiful and kind-hearted, she'll protect you even if something really happens."

The door closed, and Lu Zhao was slightly taken aback, a glint of inspiration flashing in his eyes.

Zhang Like's last words woke him up. He had calculated everyone's strength, but he had forgotten one person.

What exactly does Zhao De want? Is it just simple revenge?

No, that can't be it. He wants Lin Zhiyan to protect me.

If he possesses evidence that could bring down the Wei family, he can use it as leverage.

Lu Zhao picked up the landline and dialed the archives: "Could you check the tenure of the director of the town of Maijiu in my jurisdiction?"

"please wait."

Five minutes later, the archives obtained Huang Qifeng's publicly available files through internal channels.

He joined the company two weeks ago and was formerly a squad leader in the city's Special Counter-Strike Force.

He is Zhao De's man.

Lu Zhao was certain of this.

Many people don't pay much attention to such a trivial matter as the appointment of a township security station chief, and they don't know much about it unless they specifically inquire about it.

For example, the head of the Ant Ridge Border Station has changed, but the farmers in the surrounding villages don't even know it.

Only those within the system will pay attention to such important job changes.

'This person must be a mole planted by Zhao De. He came to deliver intelligence to guide me to investigate this area. He thinks I'll definitely pursue him relentlessly, so he's eager to jump out.'

'Perhaps my previous actions left the other party with the impression that I was impatient and reckless.'

Lu Zhao tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his expression calm as still water.

As the saying goes, the person who knows you best is always your enemy.

Clearly, Mayor Zhao doesn't understand him well enough; he will indeed find an opportunity to deliver a severe blow to the Wei family. Now that he holds the agricultural rights to the Ant Ridge area, he has the duty and obligation to protect the property of the federal government and the farmers from infringement.

But things happen in a certain order. Now that only half a month of the six-month term has passed, why rush things?

If I solve the problem, then what should Mayor Zhao do?
Lu Zhao picked up the landline, and a list of officers flashed through his mind. Currently, there was only one officer without a mission: Liao Lang from the duty company.

My teacher once said that when dealing with subordinates who make mistakes, we should both punish them and show them kindness.

Giving him a chance is an act of kindness.

"Have Liao Lang come to my office."

About seven minutes later, very hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a knock.

"Please come in."

Liao Lang walked into the office, looking excited and panting.

He stood at attention and saluted, saying, "Company Commander Liao Lang of the duty unit reporting for duty!"

Lu Zhao cut to the chase: "I just received news that every year after the rice harvest, Wes Rice directly purchases rice from farmers. This practice has been going on for many years, seriously damaging federal interests and is extremely egregious in nature."

Liao Lang immediately replied, "I will take people to investigate and deal with it right away."

"Don't rush," Lu Zhao said. "Go find the local soldiers and staff in the camp and ask them for information. Remember not to alert them. I'll let you make your move before you arrest them."

"Yes! Promise to complete the mission."

Liao Lang left full of energy.

He had no choice but to work hard; this might be his last chance. Now, the border station had been reorganized into the Border Garrison Corps, and the unit was thriving. His colleagues were getting promoted and receiving raises, but Liao Lang was the only one forgotten.

Everyone tacitly ignored him; as long as Lu Zhao didn't speak up, everyone would isolate him.

This is the change brought about by power; the leader's joys and sorrows affect everyone's thoughts and interpersonal relationships.

Liao Lang harbored some resentment towards Lu Zhao, so he secretly met with the captain of the special counter-espionage team, but he hadn't done anything to harm the interests of the border station.

Now that Lu Zhao intends to use him, his resentment has immediately turned into gratitude.

Chief Lu was wise after all.
-
Huangshui Village.

As evening fell, the able-bodied men of Huangshui returned to the village, and none of them looked too good.

The neighboring village brought their millet directly to the threshing ground and kept the same person for three days straight, with someone watching over it every night.

As a result, the millet from Huangshui Village could only wait at the grain depot, unable to be stored and handed over to the public, and fearing that a sudden heavy rain would flood the temporary storage area.

As per usual practice, each village rotates every two days, and each village head is assigned a position.

With the combined effect of the concrete floor and the scorching sun, a batch can be dried and stored in about two days. Then the next village chief will dry it for two days, and the cycle repeats itself.

The task can basically be completed in about half a month.

If we wait a couple more days, the other party will have basically finished posting.

But they couldn't swallow this insult! Why should they be the ones to get it?
The villagers of Huangshui were even angrier when they thought about the conflicts between the villages.

This is the main reason for the fight.

Ring ring ring!
Zhao Zhili answered the phone, and a woman's voice came through.

"Hey?"

"Excuse me, are you Comrade Zhao Zhili?"

"it's me."

"This is the Ant Ridge Border Station. We sincerely invite you and three representatives of Huangshui Village to come to the border station at 10:00 AM tomorrow to discuss the grain depot issue."

"Huh? Is this area under the jurisdiction of the border station?"

"Yes, please make sure you arrive before 9:00 AM tomorrow. The border station will prepare breakfast and lunch for you."

After saying that, the phone hung up.

Zhao Zhili was somewhat bewildered, but learned the situation after being questioned by others.

Immediately, someone scoffed, "The border station is just like them; can they really stand up for us?"

"Didn't Lüjiacun get arrested a while ago? Maybe the new official wants to do something practical."

"If you ask me, the only one who really gets things done at the border station is the second son of the Lu family. Under his leadership these past few years, we really haven't seen any water monsters."

The border guard station has already lost the trust of the people in Ant Ridge.

(End of this chapter)