A man in Handong: living off Zhong Xiaoai

After hearing what Shanji said, Ke Zhihua curled his lip.

"Learn foreign languages, learn foreign languages, all you think about is learning foreign languages ​​all day long! Your cousin might be dying right now, and you're still obsessed with learning foreign languages! What Hao Nan said before was absolutely right, you've lost your mind! You don't know anything except learning foreign languages, it's infuriating!"

Pheasant seemed curious after hearing Ke Zhihua's words.

"What? You're going to die? Cousin, you're not kidding me, are you? You're not just bored because you came out to eat skewers alone, so you tricked me into coming out to chat with you to keep you company, are you? We already told Miss Yang about what happened with Lei Fuhong, and Governor Qi probably knows about it too. How could you possibly die? Is this for real? Don't scare me!"

Ke Zhihua ate some skewers, took a sip of beer, and then looked at Shanji with a helpless expression.

Chapter 563 The appointment document arrived before the person.

Ke Zhihua took a deep breath and then said.

"I received news from the Gulf that the Triads are sending a special envoy from Lei Fuhong to see me in a couple of days. This guy is called Michael, and he's Lei Fuhong's most trusted confidant. He's also an assassin brought back from abroad! This is really a headache. You know, I'm practically on the verge of death, and I still managed to trick you into coming out for a chat?"

Upon hearing this, the pheasant's face immediately darkened, and he lost all interest in learning foreign languages.

"What do you mean?! You mean Lei Fuhong wants to kill you? No way?! Is he crazy?! You're my cousin, Shanji's cousin! I'm the deputy director of the Handong Provincial Prison Administration Bureau now, how dare he disrespect me like this?! Has he forgotten the rules of our Sanlian Gang, or does he think his wings have hardened enough to fly?"

Ke Zhihua looked at Shanji's reaction and sneered.

"That's why I called you out! You're still thinking about those foreign language teachers! I've been thinking, regardless of whether Lei Fuhong stays with Governor Qi in the future, he wouldn't dare to completely turn against us. After all, our Governor Qi isn't someone to be trifled with. So I think the best thing to do right now is for us to go and meet that Michael together and see what he's up to!"

Upon hearing Ke Zhihua's words, Shanji chuckled.

"Don't worry, cousin! The situation is different now! Your cousin is already the deputy director of the Handong Provincial Prison Administration Bureau! Not to mention Haonan, he's the deputy director of the Handong Provincial Police Department! When the time comes, we'll just call a hundred or so brothers to back you up. If he dares to mess around, I don't care if he's Michael or Tom, we'll just handcuff him and let him know how powerful our Qi family gang is!"

Upon hearing this, Ke Zhihua quickly waved his hand.

"What Qi Family Gang? Are you out of your mind?! This guy, as Lei Fuhong and the Sanlian Gang's special envoy, came to Jingzhou without saying a word, and you arrested him? If Lei Fuhong really turns against you, how are you going to explain this to Governor Qi? At that point, not only me, but you and Haonan will be in deep trouble!"

Pheasant was momentarily at a loss, and he subconsciously scratched his hair.

"This won't work, that won't work, so you're definitely going to die! Since you're going to die anyway, what's the point of chatting here? You might as well go back and learn a foreign language, so even if you die, you can be a cultured ghost, don't you think, (cgbh) cousin?"

Ke Zhihua looked at the pheasant in front of him and was truly speechless.

"Holy crap! To die as a cultured ghost? What kind of nonsense is that? You mean if I die while learning a foreign language, I'll become an intellectual after death? Your head is full of foreign language learning all day long, are you out of your mind? Let me tell you, what I mean is actually very simple: after Lei Fuhong's special envoy Michael arrives in Handong, you'd like to go see him for me. I don't need to call a hundred or eighty brothers, just you alone will be enough to keep things under control!"

The pheasant looked a little embarrassed when it heard this.

"You want me to go see him alone? That's not a good idea, is it? What if he tries to assault you on the spot? If I'm there, I'll probably be in trouble too! Forget it, you should just be careful. When are you going? No matter when you go, I have a language lesson scheduled with my tutor that day, so don't worry about me. Take care of yourself!"

Ke Zhihua drank another beer, looking utterly helpless.

“Cousin! Are you really stupid? Even if Michael really is here to kill me, you're the deputy director of the Handong Provincial Prison Administration Bureau! How could he dare to touch you? How could he dare to send someone away in front of you? So, as long as the two of us go to see him together, we'll definitely be safe! Stop making excuses for me!”

The pheasant took a deep breath, looking utterly helpless.

"You could have easily set up a trap and lured them in, but instead, you insisted on going to meet them alone! I really don't know what you were thinking! Fine, fine, since you're my cousin, I'll go with you! But don't say I didn't warn you, if anything goes wrong, don't blame me for not having a backup plan!"

Seeing that the pheasant had agreed, Ke Zhihua immediately smiled.

"That's more like my cousin! Our family has always been the most loyal! That's right! Come on, let's have a good drink to celebrate our brotherhood and the challenges ahead!"

Pheasant reluctantly raised his wine glass and pursed his lips.

"Our family is loyal? It's more like our family is obsessed with learning foreign languages! Loyal? What a load of rubbish! Honestly, every time something happens, it takes up all my time for learning foreign languages."

Ke Zhihua laughed again this time because he heard that Shanji had agreed to go see Michael with him.

"Wow! Now that you mention it, our family is quite the cultured one! Everyone's so passionate about learning foreign languages, and their enthusiasm is so high—that's truly remarkable! Okay, don't be discouraged today. I heard there's a new foreign language training center that opens 24/7. I'll treat you to dinner tonight and take you there to broaden your horizons and maybe even improve your foreign language skills. How about that?"

Upon hearing this, the pheasant finally smiled.

"That's more like it! Take me to study! Why eat at roadside stalls? You don't even know if the food is hygienic, how can that compare to the fun of studying! I've loved studying since I was little, don't you know that! Here's the deal, it has to be a foreign teacher, one isn't enough for me, find me at least two foreign teachers, let's study properly and improve our cultural level!"

When Shanji's cousin heard what Shanji said, he smiled and raised his glass again.

"No problem! No problem at all! Let's drink this up, and I'll take you to that newly opened luxury training center right away. You can learn a foreign language properly and broaden your horizons! Don't say I didn't take care of you then; I've found you the best foreign teacher, so you'd better study hard!"

In the office of Yi Xuexi, the county party secretary of Jinshan County, Lüzhou City, Handong Province.

Wang Dalu looked at Yi Xuexi in front of him, who was talking eloquently.

"Secretary Yi, you may not know this, but this time Ouyang Jing and I went to Jingzhou to bid farewell to the old man of County Magistrate Chen Hai's family, and we really gained a lot! Look, we haven't even returned to Jinshan County yet, and the appointment document has already been issued. It's like a windfall! It seems that our work has been recognized by the higher-ups, and we can't be happier!"

Chapter 564 Work is done, not run around.

Yi Xuexi's expression wasn't very pleasant as he listened to Wang Dalu's words.

"What do you mean by 'superiors recognizing our work'? Dalu, what you just said... it doesn't sit well with me. We sent you to Jingzhou to bid farewell to Comrade Chen Hai's father. That was a matter of friendship and responsibility. How come, in the end, you were promoted from deputy county head to deputy secretary of the county party committee and executive deputy county head, and Ouyang Jing went from director of the county bank office to deputy bank president? What kind of funeral did you two attend, or what? I need to hear this carefully to find out what really happened!"

Wang Dalu smiled helplessly when he heard Yi Xuexi's less-than-pleasant tone.

“Secretary Yi, you may not know this, but our Deputy County Head Chen Hai has a very powerful background! He's not an ordinary person, unlike someone like Li Dakang who used to be a secretary! Did you know that County Head Chen Hai's brother-in-law is none other than Qi Tongwei, the famous governor of Handong Province? Ouyang Jing and I have been helping Chen Hai a lot lately, and because County Head Chen Hai is considerate of us, he specially took Ouyang Jing and me to visit his brother-in-law.”

As soon as I met Governor Qi, I seized the opportunity to introduce him to the unique charm and development advantages of our county. Guess what? After listening, the leader was full of praise for our work and was very satisfied!

The more Yi Xuexi listened, the uglier his expression became.

"Wang Dalu, how could you take advantage of Comrade Chen Hai's father's funeral to cultivate such connections? What kind of behavior is this? Is it appropriate?! We are cadres of Xia Kingdom; we must adhere to principles and maintain proper boundaries! Besides, were you really going to introduce our county's unique charm and development advantages to Governor Qi? To me, it sounds like you were introducing yourself! Wang Dalu, tell me, is what you're doing behaving like?!"

Comrade Chen Hai was holding a funeral for his elderly father in Jingzhou, a truly sorrowful occasion. We entrusted you and Ouyang Jing with the task of representing Jinshan County to help, out of trust and friendship. And what did you do? After you finished helping, you came back and got promoted! What will the other comrades in the county think of you? What will they think of you? We're here to get things done, not to do these empty gestures!"

Wang Dalu looked at Yi Xuexi, who seemed a bit angry, and realized he was also a little unhappy.

“Secretary Yi, do you not know how long I’ve been in this position as deputy county head of Jinshan County? Do you know how old I am this year? I worked hard to preside over the work of Jinshan County for more than a year last year, and what happened? Li Dakang was parachuted in like this! Secretary Yi, I’ve thought about it a lot in private. What do I lack compared to Li Dakang? Isn’t it just that he has the backing of Zhao Lichun, the provincial party secretary?”

"We have no connections above us, so we can only rely on ourselves! But now, things are great! Chen Hai has arrived—this is a chance given to us by heaven! Chen Hai is a good person, approachable, and he appreciates us. He's willing to recommend me and Ouyang Jing to Governor Qi. This is our blessing, our opportunity! Secretary Yi, don't you think this makes sense?"

Yi Xuexi took a deep breath.

“Dalu, to be honest, in our team, our relationship is pretty good! I used to really admire you. Although you love socializing and sometimes like to be a bit superficial, overall you are a hard-working comrade who cares about the big and small things in Jinshan County! But now, how have you become like this? How have you become so snobbish?”

How many times have I told you? Work is earned through hard work, not through connections or backdoors! Look at yourself now, what kind of state are you in? Mainland, you're truly foolish! We are cadres of Xia Country; we must be worthy of Xia Country and of everyone else. We can't let people point fingers and gossip behind our backs!"

Wang Dalu was somewhat displeased upon hearing this.

"Secretary Yi, I don't understand what you're saying! How am I being opportunistic? How have I let down Xia Guo and everyone else?! I've been the deputy county head of Jinshan County for almost 10 years! What's wrong with that? Now that I'm the deputy secretary of the county party committee and the executive deputy county head, am I not worthy of the position? Haven't I made any contributions to Jinshan County all these years? Haven't my contributions been small?"

You, Secretary Yi, are so high and mighty. How many years have you been the county party secretary? What about me? What about Ouyang Jing? She's a college graduate from Jingzhou University of Finance and Economics, but when she came to the bank in Jinshan County, she was only put in charge of general affairs, not business operations! In one bank, out of five vice presidents, four are in charge of business operations. Tell me, Secretary Yi, if Ouyang Jing doesn't pull some strings, what is she going to do for the rest of her life? Is she just going to die in that office director position?

Request flowers

Secretary Yi, it's not that I'm shirking my duties, but we have to face reality, don't we? We can't just act on enthusiasm alone; we have to consider practicalities, individual development, and team morale. We must be realistic; we can't just shout slogans without solving real problems.

Yi Xuexi took a deep breath and then looked at Wang Dalu.

 …

“Comrade from the Mainland, if you do your job well, everyone will see it, and the leaders above will see it too! You’ve been doing this for so many years and haven’t been promoted, so you have to look for the reasons within yourself! You can’t always think about running around to find connections; that’s not a way to solve real problems, that’s opportunism, and it’s a very shameful act!”

We are cadres of the Xia Kingdom, and we must live up to the expectations of the Xia Kingdom and everyone else. We must do our jobs well and manage the affairs of Jinshan County properly so that the people can live a good life. This is our duty, this is our responsibility. Dalu, you cannot be confused, you cannot go down that wrong path!

Upon hearing Yi Xuexi's words, Wang Dalu immediately stood up.

“I understand now, Secretary Yi! I used to respect you so much, I thought you would see the work I did and recommend me to higher authorities and the Organization Department of the Lüzhou Municipal Party Committee! But now I completely understand that in your eyes, Secretary Yi, I, Wang Dalu, am simply incompetent at my job, and my work over the past two years has been a complete mess, right?!”

If I hadn't met Chen Hai and Governor Qi in my life, I might have truly been buried by you and died at your hands! Secretary Yi, you have truly disappointed me! I originally thought that as long as I worked hard and contributed to Jinshan County, you would see it and recognize me. But now it seems that I was just being delusional!

Chapter 565 I wholeheartedly agree

Upon hearing Wang Dalu's words, Yi Xuexi also stood up angrily.

“Dalu, Dalu, I think you've completely changed! Where has all that drive and enthusiasm for your work gone? Now, in your mind, is building connections and cultivating relationships more important than doing your job properly? What can I say to you? You've really disappointed me! As a student of Yi Xue, I can't stand this kind of atmosphere. How can you live up to your responsibilities? How can you live up to everyone's trust? I'm so glad I hesitated to recommend you to the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee! Otherwise, I would be regretting it terribly now!”

Wang Dalu burst out laughing upon hearing this.

"Hahaha! Yi Xuexi, what you said really makes me both laugh and cry! Tell me, if I were really recommended by you on behalf of the Jinshan County Party Committee, why did the higher-ups act like they didn't see it at all, without even a peep? We have to be reasonable, don't we? Are we all supposed to be like perpetual motion machines, running 24 hours a day without a single complaint, without being able to ask for anything we deserve? Secretary Yi, you can't say that!"

Work is work, that's true, but we're also living, breathing human beings, with flesh and blood, and emotions! We're not cold, emotionless robots! If you really want to become that kind of robot who only knows how to work, has no personal feelings, and no joy in life, that's your own choice, but don't drag us all down with you! We need to live like human beings, right?

After saying this, Wang Dalu ignored Yi Xuexi and left Yi Xuexi's office directly.

Wang Dalu simply couldn't believe that Yi Xuexi would be such a stubborn person.

Why is it that, aside from work, he seems to know absolutely nothing about human relationships or social interactions?

Yi Xuexi was also very angry at this moment. He had originally thought highly of Wang Dalu, but he never expected that Wang Dalu would turn out to be such an opportunistic person.

It's ridiculous that he would spend time working on his own future while attending Chen Hai's father's funeral.

In the office of County Magistrate Li Dakang, at the other end of Jinshan County, Lüzhou City, Handong Province.

After returning from leave, Chen Hai, the current head of Jinshan County, went to Li Dakang's office to say hello and show his respect to Li Dakang.

"County Chief Dakang, what are you busy with? Comrades Dalu, Ouyang Jing, and I arrived home safely last night. After handling my father's funeral in Jingzhou, I rushed back to work and came here specifically to report to you. If you have any new work arrangements or anything that requires my special attention, please give us your guidance and instructions. We will do our best to live up to your expectations."

When Li Dakang saw Chen Hai, he was very enthusiastic and immediately stood up.

"Oh, Chen Hai, you rushed here as soon as you got back. Why didn't you rest at home for another day? Look at you, your spirits are good, but you still need to take care of your health! Come on, don't stand, sit down! Sit down and we can talk slowly. Work matters can't be rushed right now; health is the most important thing!"

After hearing Li Dakang's words, Chen Hai smiled and sat down opposite Li Dakang.

"County Chief Dakang, my father's funeral was generally handled quite well. Dalu and Ouyang Jing were truly a great help, and I am extremely grateful. As you know, my family situation is special. My mother remarried many years ago and couldn't attend the funeral. It was just my sister and me. Although the comrades from the Handong Provincial Prison Administration Bureau provided a lot of support, without Dalu and Ouyang Jing's strong assistance, I don't know how much more trouble we would have encountered. Thank you so much, County Chief Dakang, for specially arranging for them to come with me to Jingzhou. I, Chen Hai, will remember this kindness."

After hearing Chen Hai's words, Li Dakang smiled and waved his hand.

"Chen Hai, why are you being so polite with me? Do we need these formalities? Besides, you're still in Jingzhou, and the appointment documents are already on my desk. I know you put a lot of effort into the transfers of Comrade Wang Dalu and Comrade Ouyang Jing. You're always like this, always thinking of everyone and always on the job—that kind of spirit deserves praise! But you also need to take care of yourself and not overwork yourself..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Hai realized that Li Dakang already knew that he was the one who arranged things between Wang Dalu and Ouyang Jing.

“County Chief Dakang, you flatter me. The promotions of Dalu and Ouyang Jing were earned through their own hard work and abilities. I dare not say that I did anything significant. They are both outstanding in their work, with strong capabilities and a strong sense of responsibility. Their promotions are well-deserved. I only did what I should have done and coordinated things. The real credit belongs to them.”

Li Dakang laughed as he listened to Chen Hai's words.

"Chen Hai, don't be so modest with me. Everyone in Jinshan County knows that Wang Dalu and Ouyang Jing got promoted because they helped your grandfather with his funeral in Jingzhou. They haven't even returned yet, and the appointments have already come. This is great news! Chen Hai, it's nothing special. I've seen a lot of these things when I worked for Secretary Zhao Lichun of the Provincial Party Committee. Everyone understands human relationships! Haha, don't take it to heart. Just focus on your work; that's the most important thing."

Chen Hai felt a little embarrassed after hearing Li Dakang's words.

"County Chief Dakang, actually, I was mainly concerned because Comrade Dalu has worked diligently in Jinshan County for so many years without any promotion opportunity, and I've always been worried about him. And Ouyang Jing, such an outstanding 1.7-year-old college graduate, hasn't been able to get a suitable position after returning to the county, which I think is a real pity. This time, my father's situation happened, which was also an opportunity. Comrade Dalu also wanted to visit my brother-in-law, so I went along with them without stopping them. I didn't expect to cause trouble for the organization, so please forgive me."

Li Dakang smiled and waved his hand again.

"Chen Hai, you've done a great job! On behalf of the county government, I wholeheartedly support this! Providing capable comrades with practical solutions and a broader platform to showcase their abilities—what's wrong with that? It's the right thing to do, absolutely the right thing to do! However, Chen Hai, you need to be careful about Yi Xuexi, the county party secretary of Jinshan County. He's not exactly friendly towards either of us. We need to be careful in our work and not let his opinions affect our overall situation."

Chapter 566 The situation in Jinshan County is extremely complicated.

Chen Hai seemed somewhat surprised after hearing Li Dakang's words.

"County Chief Dakang, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly saying this? Did Secretary Yi say something to you privately? Or is there some misunderstanding that needs to be clarified? I've always felt that although disagreements are inevitable in our work, we're all working for the development of Jinshan County and for everyone's benefit. If there's anything I can do, or anything that needs to be communicated, please let me know, and I will do my best."

Li Dakang's expression didn't look good after hearing Chen Hai's words.

"Chen Hai, let me tell you, when Secretary Yi Xuexi found out about Wang Dalu and Ouyang Jing's appointments, his reaction was huge. I heard he smashed his cup in his office, making a loud bang. He said things like Wang Dalu and Ouyang Jing were relying on 'powerful connections' like you and wouldn't go far, things like that—it was absolutely awful! I've noticed that this Comrade Yi Xuexi is quite hardworking, but his behavior is far too extreme."

Did you know that Wang Dalu and Yi Xuexi have always had a good relationship? Before I came here, when the position of county head of Jinshan County was vacant for a year, Wang Dalu actually filled in and presided over the work. At that time, Wang Dalu even approached Yi Xuexi, hoping he could help recommend him to the Organization Department of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee. And what happened? Yi Xuexi remained completely silent and didn't try to help him. Wang Dalu had served as deputy county head of Jinshan County for over ten years, and Yi Xuexi knew him best. He always encouraged Wang Dalu to focus on his work, but when it came to promotions, he acted as if nothing was wrong, never advocating for a hard-working person like Wang Dalu.