Despite being incredibly wealthy, I want to be a prosecutor.

That evening in Silver Cotton Town, the news that seniors over 60 years old could dine for free at the Vientiane Restaurant by presenting their ID cards became the hottest topic. Many townspeople came to watch the spectacle, including some homeless people who wanted to freeload, but they were all driven away by the police.

The next day, the continuous flow of grain being loaded and unloaded from the dock at Yinmu Mian Ferry attracted even more attention, especially since it was said that all the grain was being transported to the same village, which had received donations from compatriots who had made their fortunes elsewhere.

160 tons of Elephant rice (with 25% broken rice allowed in third-grade rice), plus 12000 liters of palm oil.

Three medium-sized trucks, each with a load capacity of over 10 tons, made five or six round trips, finally finishing transporting the goods stockpiled at the dock late at night.

This became a topic of conversation in Yinmian Town after meals.

As for the protest at the "Little White Building," it seems that no one has mentioned it anymore.

In particular, it is said that this overseas Chinese not only donates to the village where he was born, but also visits other impoverished villages.

This further piqued everyone's curiosity, and they started discussing whether overseas Chinese would invest in Silver Cotton and whether there would be many more jobs in the town.

……

Nantong Village.

While drinking the cloyingly sweet local tamarind juice, Zhou Hong sat opposite Officer Anu's father, Village Elder Wang, a dark-skinned old man in his early fifties with a face full of wrinkles and an extremely kind appearance.

This local tyrant has an excellent reputation in the village, and he personally takes the lead in many small agricultural projects such as irrigation ditches.

Old Wang was very happy. He had just praised his son at length, and suddenly receiving such a large donation of supplies would greatly enhance his reputation among the village chiefs in the county.

Anu is the eldest son, but after he grew up, he did many things that did not meet Lao Wang's expectations.

Unexpectedly, the son made connections with a benefactor and managed to get the matter done.

The village chief's house was a typical Southeast Asian wooden house with a stilt frame. At this moment, Zhou Hong was sitting cross-legged, opposite Village Chief Awang.

"Prosecutor Hong, I'm so sorry, but I told the public that the donor was a member of our village who lives overseas," said Village Chief Awang apologetically.

Zhou Hong smiled and said, "I understand. I don't care about these empty titles."

A local tyrant is a local tyrant, but if he accepts gifts from foreign countries without applying to any higher authorities, then the matter can be big or small. But if it is said to be a donation from overseas Chinese from the village, then it doesn't matter.

The propaganda department can use this as an opportunity to educate people about the deep bond of blood ties, rather than getting bogged down in the quagmire of why foreigners are so kind to us.

As Zhou Hong watched the number of people being helped surge, his smile was genuine.

Old Village Chief Awang felt even more ashamed. "Prosecutor Hong, but rest assured, all the young men in the village know that you are a great benefactor."

"Actually, as long as it can truly help those in need, that's enough. It doesn't really matter who provided the funding. Westerners might consider it God, and you might consider it Buddha," Zhou Hong said sincerely.

It seems that the distribution of supplies has at least benefited many families in distress, otherwise the number of people receiving assistance would not have increased by more than 200, and it looks like the number of people receiving assistance is about 600.

The three main sources of aid are the high-altitude tribal areas that Jinshazi frequently visits, the small valley Chinese self-governing villages, and now, Nantong Village.

Well, the number of servants is not yet 500, and Jinsha's "Impregnable Fortress" has not been activated yet, otherwise he could have 3 more lives.

"Prosecutor Hong, someone wants to see you tomorrow." Officer Anu had just received a message on his pager.

"Anu, you can buy a cell phone tomorrow," Village Chief Awang suddenly said.

Officer Anu was overjoyed. His previous phone had been broken by his father, who was genuinely furious. For over a month, he hadn't dared to buy a new one, partly because his father had stopped providing financial support. His monthly salary was only 15 jeeps, or about $15 or 120 yuan. Buying a new phone was a real struggle. He had a decent phone before, and he couldn't afford to buy a beat-up secondhand one.

Zhou Hong glanced at his watch and smiled, "Old village chief, I should head back too!"

"Yes, I know you're busy. Thank you for keeping the old man company for a while!"

The old village chief, Awang, dared not stop him. It was true that he was a local tyrant, but compared to this second-generation Chinese who could donate hundreds of millions of kip to charity every minute, they were from completely different worlds.

……

Zhou Hong drove Anu back to Silver Cotton Town. After getting to know Zhou Hong, Anu started talking and became curious about all the things Zhou Hong had on him, including the watch he was wearing.

Zhou Hong was too embarrassed to mention that he was wearing a watch worth billions of dollars on his wrist, and that was only a mid-range model among his watches.

Officer Anu's monthly salary is only 15 kip. Compared to that, it's a bit too funny. Even if Anu had a heart of diamond, it would probably shatter into pieces.

"Who wants to see me tomorrow?" Zhou Hong suddenly asked.

Anu hesitated for a moment, then said, "His name is Wan Sai, the director of the local labor and social welfare bureau."

After thinking for a moment, she whispered to Zhou Hong, and the information she revealed clearly indicated that she already considered Zhou Hong a true friend.

……

Fu Niang is also temporarily staying in Villa No. 1 of the resort.

Anu was stunned when he saw Fu Niang, mistakenly believing her to be Zhou Hong's lover.

"A 82 Lafite?" He exclaimed in surprise when he saw the red wine that Fu Niang had brought out, and he knew that this inspector Hong must have used genuine wine.

In Southeast Asia, where Hong Kong entertainment has a wide influence, the 82 Lafite is widely recognized as a top-tier red wine.

Therefore, Zhou Hong specially brought several extra bottles of 82 Château Lafite Rothschild.

The reception room was cool and comfortable, with the air conditioner blowing a refreshing breeze and the windows open, the white gauze curtains tightly sealed. The cool breeze carried a moist scent, and the sound of the river flowing outside was pleasant, with no mosquitoes to be seen.

Fu Niang opened the three-cigar box on the coffee table, and Zhou Hong said with a smile, "Anu, come on, have a cigar."

The "Gourmet No. 2" costs around $80 and is an entry-level premium cigar, perfect for cigar beginners.

"Brother Hong, I need to know the price first. Come on, shock me!" Officer Anu naturally changed his address to "Brother Hong," even though he was more than ten years older than Zhou Hong. At this moment, he spread his arms and struck a ridiculous pose that was absolutely hilarious.

Zhou Hong smiled and said, "An entry-level cigar, with no tariffs in its country of origin, costs about $80 a stick."

Officer Anu nodded: "That's alright, half a year's salary for me!"

While smoking cigars, sipping red wine, and chatting, Officer Anu showed great respect for Fu Niang, addressing her as "sister-in-law" repeatedly.

Upon learning that Fu Niang had attended a vocational school in Huixi, the provincial capital, they complimented her on being a high achiever.

But as they talked, tears started flowing down Fu Niang's face, and the tears fell into her wine glass, creating ripples.

"Ah, I'll take my leave!" Officer Anu didn't know what he had said wrong, and reluctantly put down the cigar he was smoking.

Although Zhou Hong advised him that beginners should smoke about a third of the way through first and leave the rest for later, Anu really enjoyed the dizzying feeling and smoked very quickly. Zhou Hong's cigar was only a third full when Anu had already smoked half of it.

Zhou Hong casually tossed him the cigar box, a three-cigar pack, with one cigar left. He said, "The box keeps it moist and dry, so it can preserve the cigars for a long time. Don't take it out and leave it there!"

"Understood, Brother Hong, I'm going back!" He glanced at Fu Niang, then said, "Sister-in-law, I'm leaving!"

Zhou Hong looked at Fu Niang, who was quickly wiping away her tears, and sighed softly in his heart. He knew why she was crying. It was because he had not denied their relationship, which greatly enhanced her status in the eyes of outsiders. This made her extremely grateful, but also somewhat sentimental.

"Fu Niang, look forward, there's no need to dwell on the past." Zhou Hong gestured, "Get some rest and have sweet dreams."

……

Van Sai is the Director of the Labor and Social Welfare Department of Dong Hoa District, Khoi Province.

Most of the land planned for the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone belongs to Donghua County.

It is currently being temporarily named "Golden Triangle Economic Development Zone", and Wan Sai also serves as the "Director of the Labor and Social Welfare Bureau of the Management Committee of Golden Triangle Economic Development Zone".

The management committee of the "Economic Development Zone" is actually composed of the Donghua County Government and various bureaus; it has two names but the same staff.

Each organization has a staff stationed in Yinmian Town.

Zhou Hong arranged the meeting with Director Wan Sai at the White Swan Hotel in Huixi, and also invited Anu.

To come all the way to the provincial capital just for a meal, Director Wan Sai can only say that people are really different.

"Prosecutor Hong, are you really going to invest one million US dollars in charity work in rural Donghua County?"

Inside the luxurious private room, as they sipped wine and chatted, Director Wan Sai brought up the topic, "It didn't come in as supplies?"

Zhou Hong smiled and said, "Yes."

Director Wan Sai sighed softly: "However, there is currently a complete lack of relevant laws in our country, which makes things very difficult! Our so-called economic development zone has not truly benefited from the relevant policies of the special economic zone."

Zhou Hong smiled as he sipped his wine, waiting for his "but".

"Chairman Hong, this is what I'm thinking. The charitable foundation you want to register can operate internally as a conventional foundation, but it should be affiliated with my bureau, becoming one of my bureau's third-party assets, existing under the name of a public service company, and subject to my bureau's supervision and management." As expected, Director Wan Sai cautiously suggested.

Zhou Hong smiled and said, "Let me think about it."

Before this money was transferred in, it was done proactively by me.

Laos is facing a severe shortage of foreign exchange, with the country's total US dollar reserves amounting to only tens of millions.

How much foreign investment has the Golden Triangle Economic Zone attracted this year? Only US$100 million. This could increase the scale of foreign investment in US dollars by 10 percentage points, which is a real achievement for the special economic zone.

For officials in Qiaobo Province, attracting investment is considered a political achievement, let alone foreign exchange investment in US dollars.

Director Wan Sai stared expectantly at Zhou Hong, while on the other side, Anu held the wine bottle like a precious treasure, examining it closely. "Another '82 Lafite? Tsk tsk, tsk tsk... Bro, how many bottles of '82 Lafite do you actually have?"

"Director Wan Sai, once this money comes in, will I really be able to manage it?" Zhou Hong asked.

"Of course, I'll protect your tertiary industry, which is under my bureau's control!" Director Wan Sai said urgently, as if he wanted to pour out his heart.

"Then let's talk about the details," Zhou Hong said with a smile.

Director Wan Sai was immediately overjoyed, "Good, good!"

"You guys chat, it's boring!" Anu got up and went for a walk.

Zhou Hong and Director Wan Sai then discussed the issues one by one.

Both parties agreed on the overall framework, with Zhou Honghui serving as the chairman of the charity company and having the final decision-making power.

Director Wan Sai will represent the Labour and Social Welfare Bureau as the company's supervisor.

As for the personnel appointments of the company's management, Zhou Hong made all the decisions.

However, Director Wan Sai also raised a small suggestion, hoping that one-third of the management staff would be recruited from locals, including recommending several cadres who were on unpaid leave to join the company.

Clearly, Director Wan Sai has to consider all aspects and share the benefits; he can't keep everything to himself, or he won't be able to accept it.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and with a thud, Anu staggered in, his face covered in red and swollen marks.

After entering, he immediately locked the door and called his father, Ah Wang.

It's said that he assaulted someone, but it's obvious that he assaulted someone he knew, and even Village Chief Awang knew about it.

There was a loud knocking on the door. Anu, with his back against the door, hurriedly tried to communicate with his father.

It took Director Wan Sai a moment to react. He frowned slightly, walked over and told Anu to move aside, then angrily shouted at the crowd trying to push in, "I'm discussing business with foreign guests. Who are you people?"

"Hmm, Gijo?" Director Wan Sai recognized the man; he was the one who had led the banging on the door.

He closed the door behind him and started talking to an acquaintance.

Zhou Hong, with his sharp ears and eyes, heard clearly that the young man named Ji Qiao seemed to have a strong presence, but he was beaten up by Anu. When his accomplices arrived, Anu fled, and Zhou Hong led his men to chase after him, and now he is relentlessly pursuing him.

Director Wan Sai was very polite to him, and after much persuasion, Ji Qiao finally agreed to call the police and hand the case over to them.

As Zhou Hongzheng listened, he saw Anu walk over dejectedly, sit down beside him, and whisper, "Prosecutor Hong, I'm sorry, I got carried away."

Chief Wan Sai was talking to the man named Gijo, and he vaguely heard the reason. It seemed that Gijo and Anu were classmates at the police academy. Anu's fiancée was the daughter of a wealthy family in Huisi. His fiancée often went to the police academy. By a twist of fate, she was pursued by Gijo and then dumped Anu to marry Gijo.

Because Ji Qiao was the son of a high-ranking official; his father was a deputy high-ranking official in Qiaobo Province.

Zhou Hong chuckled to himself. Some of the so-called provinces in Laos had only a few hundred thousand people, which was less than the population of a large town in his own country. This Qiaobo Province had a larger population, but it was still only three or four hundred thousand? And that had to include the floating population.

After all, Laos has only a few million people, which is less than the population of a first-tier city in China.

At this moment, Director Wan Sai returned and said that the other party had called the police and they were waiting for the police to arrive.

"Prosecutor Hong, you can leave now. I'll wait here for the results!" Anu gritted her teeth. "But I don't regret it. If I see that bastard alone again, I'll beat him up again!"

Zhou Hong vaguely understood why this guy was still single at twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He came from a good family, and the marriage age in Laos was early. Anu was considered an older single man. It turned out he had really been hurt deeply.

"So what if you beat someone up?" Zhou Hong patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, I'll wait for your results."

"Uncle Wan, don't call the leader!" Anu suddenly shouted and ran over to grab Director Wan Sai, who was dialing a number by the window.

Zhou Hong had heard Anu vaguely mention that the leader he had worked as a driver for, whose name was Director Ximing, was from a "red princess" family.

Director Ximing's parents sacrificed their lives in the anti-imperialist struggle in the early 70s. She was still young at the time and became a "red orphan," growing up with her grandfather.

Wan Sai, also from an official family, had a father who was an old subordinate of Director Xi Ming's grandfather.

However, a few years ago, after Director Ximing's grandfather passed away, the faction was suppressed.

Although it was a struggle at the capital level, Director Ximing, who was sent down for training, was not transferred back to the capital as planned, which made local officials have different thoughts, and Director Ximing's situation was not very good.

Wan Sai naturally had to call "Director Xi Ming".

"Listen to me!" Wan Sai frowned and pushed Anu's hand away.

Zhou Hong went over and pulled Anula back to her seat, asking, "Do you have a better solution?"

Anu remained silent, clearly indicating that while her father was indeed the local tyrant of Nantong Village, he had little influence at the provincial level.

After communicating for a while, Wan Sai turned back and said with a sigh of relief, "We should be able to leave in ten minutes. Anu, Director Ximing is in Huixi and wants to see you." He paused, then looked at Zhou Hong with some difficulty, "Prosecutor Hong, Director Ximing also wants to see you."

Zhou Hong nodded: "Okay."

……

Half an hour later, Zhou Hong met Director Ximing in a private meeting room at the White Swan Hotel.

His military rank is colonel.

Director Ximing's actual positions are: member of the Golden Triangle Border Defense Military Region, first political commissar of the 361st Border Defense Regiment, deputy minister of the Golden Triangle Armed Police Department and minister of the Donggua County Armed Command (director of the Public Security Bureau), and minister of the Golden Triangle Economic Zone Armed Command (director of the Public Security Bureau).

In Laos, the military and police are now closely integrated, with the police force being considered a paramilitary force and subject to the leadership of the military.

She was in her thirties, a voluptuous and beautiful policewoman.

Officer Anu was terrified in her presence, like a schoolchild who had made a mistake.

He readily agreed to whatever Director Ximing said, and even admitted his mistake as if he were making a self-criticism.

"Your name is Hong, right?" Director Ximing's gaze fell on Zhou Hong.

In reality, Zhou Hong felt that she was quite gentle and mild-mannered. Of course, given her status, she was more of a soft-spoken but firm person.

"Yes, Director Ximing," Zhou Hong replied with a smile.

"Anu is probably older than you, but he's a very naive child. You should try to persuade him more."

Zhou Hong was taken aback. What? Was the subtext that he had led him astray and made him arrogant?

However, from Director Ximing's perspective, it doesn't seem to make any mistakes. In the past, Anu doesn't seem to have any record of beating up that mortal enemy.

"Director Ximing, shall I treat you to dinner tonight? I heard the Western restaurant at the White Swan Hotel is quite authentic?" Zhou Hong suddenly said.

Officer Anu was completely stunned, and kept giving Zhou Hong meaningful glances. His boss, whom he dreaded, hated money the most.

The grandfather, who was a leader, had a rather conservative mindset, and the descendants he educated were even more so, making them incompatible with the reformist leaders who prioritized economic development.

But then Director Ximing suddenly said, "Sure, but you're a guest, so I'll make the arrangements."

Anu froze, his mouth agape, unable to close.

"But not today. In a few days, like today, Anu will treat you and show you around."

Anu suddenly realized, and sighed inwardly, "Look, this is the art of leadership."