Being forced to grow like a pig? But I'm immune to the consequences!

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The next morning.

The Yan family welcomed yet another unexpected distinguished guest.

"Director Liu! Oh my, what brings you here! Please come in, please come in!" Yan Liang's parents were both surprised and delighted to see Liu Xuezheng appear at the door, and they quickly ushered him into the house. It was something they would never have dared to imagine before that the director would take the initiative to visit them.

The Yan family is indeed not what it used to be.

"No need to be so polite." Liu Xuezheng wore his usual amiable smile as he glanced around the room. "Is Xiao Liang home? I have something I'd like to talk to him about."

After everyone was seated and exchanging pleasantries, Liu Xuezheng got down to business, his tone casual yet carrying undeniable weight:

"Xiao Liang, now that you've gained the qualification to enter the inner city, you should also have the authority to register settlements and receive tax reductions, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Liang exchanged a glance with his parents, their smiles fading slightly, and the atmosphere subtly changed.

Yan Liang did not respond immediately.

Mother Yan rubbed her hands, her face filled with worry, and spoke first, "Chief Liu, you know, our family is... living on a shoestring budget. When Xiao Liang was with the Hyena Gang for a month, just the food expenses almost emptied our savings. My husband and I scrimped and saved to barely scrape by..."

Liu Xuezheng sneered inwardly. As the head of the settlement, he couldn't claim to know every household's situation perfectly, but he had a pretty good grasp of it. The Yan family might not be as wealthy as the Xu family, but they were definitely not poor, and were even better off than most families. When it came to shrewdness and accumulating wealth, the Yan family was notorious in this area.

But he showed no sign of it on his face, still smiling: "I understand, I understand. We people from the outer city, whose family isn't struggling?"

He then changed the subject, appearing quite considerate: "How about this, I, as the head of the community, issue a call to action, asking everyone in our community to donate some money to help Xiao Liang with his living expenses after he goes to the inner city. After all, Xiao Liang has secured real benefits for our community, so it's only right that everyone expresses their gratitude."

He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of sincerity:

"However... how much of this sentiment should be expressed, and how to express it... we can discuss this carefully."

In the open space in the center of the gathering place, people were bustling about.

Liu Xuezheng stood on a slightly elevated platform, scanning the gathered residents, his voice loud and clear:

"Fellow villagers! This year, our community has ushered in a momentous occasion! Following Xu Wenbo of the Xu family, both the Xu and Yan families have produced another outstanding talent who has managed to stay in the inner city!"

He paused, letting his words resonate among the crowd for a moment, before continuing, "This is not only an honor for their two families, but also a blessing for our entire settlement! Everyone surely knows the rule—for every member of our community who enters the inner city, the settlement enjoys a 50% tax reduction for a year. Now that two have emerged, that's a full two years!"

Upon hearing this, many residents smiled genuinely. Whether it was the Xu family or the Yan family, no matter how many talented people they produced, what did it matter to ordinary citizens like themselves? But a tax reduction of half for two consecutive years was a tangible benefit that could be pocketed.

"But—" Liu Xuezheng's tone suddenly changed, and his expression became solemn. "The inner city is not like our outer city; money is needed everywhere! The two children are new here, and with their own meager resources, how can they possibly manage? We can't let them struggle to make ends meet in the inner city and embarrass our community!"

His gaze swept over the crowd, his tone becoming unquestionable: "Therefore, as the head of the community, I propose that everyone in our community contribute to raise some travel expenses and settlement costs for the two children! It's not much, just two hundred yuan per person. Let's pool this money and give it to the Xu and Yan families; it's both a gesture of goodwill and an investment—once they've established themselves in the inner city, won't they remember the kindness of their fellow villagers and protect our community?"

The joy that had just graced many faces froze instantly, then faded away.

Two hundred dollars per person? An average laborer might not save that much even after a month of hard work. For a family of three, that's six hundred dollars—roughly the total taxes many families pay in a year. So, wouldn't the benefits of tax cuts be halved, or even potentially a net loss?

Moreover, it's common for residents of the outer city to have no savings. For most people, having to come up with such a large sum of money all at once is like tearing out a piece of their own flesh.

"Chief... isn't this amount a bit too much? Could it be reduced?"

"Yes, where would we get so many all at once..."

"Back when the Zhao family lad entered the inner city, he didn't ask anyone to chip in..."

A few scattered and timid voices of opposition arose from the audience.

Liu Xuezheng's face darkened, and his voice rose several decibels, carrying a reprimanding tone: "A lot? You call this a lot? That kid is doing well, earning two years' worth of benefits for the entire settlement! If he succeeds in the inner city, he'll be a pillar of support for all of us! What, you only want to take advantage without putting in any effort? There's no such logic in the world!"

His gaze was like a knife, sweeping over those who had spoken. Immediately, those in the crowd who were adept at reading people, or those who were already close to the Liu, Xu, and Yan families, hastily changed the subject:

"The group leader is right! We should show our appreciation!"

"That's right! Two hundred yuan, just a small token of my appreciation! Even if the village head hadn't said anything, I'd been wanting to give the two kids some money for a while!"

"Exactly! Some people are just too short-sighted!"

Seeing this, Liu Xuezheng's face regained a satisfied expression, and he nodded slightly.

In the crowd, Uncle Zhao tightly gripped his grandson Zhao Qi's hand, his deeply lined face filled with bitterness. He barely managed to feed the grandfather and grandson by doing odd jobs and collecting scraps; where would he get this unexpected four hundred yuan as a token of his goodwill?

……

Soon after, the residents of the settlement, whether willingly or reluctantly, handed over the money to Liu Xuezheng.

Liu Xuezheng held the roster and checked it one by one. Most names on the list already had a checkmark next to them, with only a few left blank. His gaze lingered on the last two names:

"Zhao Shugen, Zhao Qi..."

He snorted coldly, closed the register, and decided to personally visit this ungrateful family.

The shack where the Zhao family lived was located on the edge of the settlement. Although only Uncle Zhao and his grandson lived there, it was much neater and sturdier than many of the crooked and dilapidated shacks around it. It could even be described as quite good.

Liu Xuezheng stepped into the house, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat empty but neatly organized interior with a veiled look. Uncle Zhao invited him to sit down, his cloudy eyes filled with unease.

Liu Xuezheng got straight to the point and explained his purpose.

Uncle Zhao rubbed his rough, chapped hands, his voice hoarse: "Chief Liu... it's not that I'm unwilling to contribute, it's just that... with the family's current situation, we really can't come up with that much money all at once..."