Chapter 37: Starting with His Wife!

The next morning, after finishing breakfast and preparing to head to the government office, Tang Ye spotted a black sedan parked beside a scallion pancake stall on the side of the road.

Shang Dayong tossed a ten-yuan note through the car window at the vendor. When the vendor failed to catch it, Shang slapped the pancake into her face and drove off without a second thought. The vendor was an elderly woman, nearly sixty years old. She wiped away tears of humiliation, but driven by the necessity of survival, she quickly composed herself to serve the next customer.

Upon arriving at the government office, Tang Ye noticed Shang Dayong’s car parked in the courtyard. As he passed by Xia Haiqiao’s office, he saw Shang Dayong closing the door.

Xia Haiqiao poured money out of an envelope and began counting it, muttering, "Your mouth is foul, but your efficiency is acceptable. Next time I give an order, just listen. Don't argue with me."

Shang Dayong agreed verbally, but he was aching inside. One hundred thousand was no small sum to him; it was the death compensation for his younger brother and sister-in-law.

"There’s a major project coming to town soon. Aiou Electric is investing 220 million yuan, with plans to break ground in Houhe Village. When the time comes, organize an engineering team and secure some contracts; you'll be counting money while lying down," Xia Haiqiao said, skillfully painting a grand picture for Shang.

Shang Dayong’s eyes lit up. "That’s fantastic! I heard there’s going to be demolition work, too?"

Xia Haiqiao nodded. "Your ears are sharp, but that lucrative job won't go to you; Xu Jie has already pulled strings to snatch it up."

At the mention of Xu Jie, Shang Dayong’s expression shifted. Knowing the bad blood between the two, Xia added, "You can hire some thugs; you’ll definitely need them for the demolition. You won’t get the lion's share, but even the scraps will be enough to keep you well-fed."

Shang Dayong’s brow relaxed, his heart bursting with joy. "Thank you for the opportunity to make money, sir!"

Xia Haiqiao patted Shang’s shoulder. "I hear there’s a new program at the Wisteria Pavilion."

Shang Dayong snapped back to attention and smiled. "Yes, those girls are from Guangdong Province; they're high quality. I saw a nurse yesterday—she had an incredibly hot body."

Xia Haiqiao chuckled. "Are there any flight attendants?"

At this, Shang Dayong grew excited and slapped his thigh hard. "Yes, and even lawyers! I’ll arrange it. Will the Secretary be going?"

After waiting for a long moment and receiving no response from Xia Haiqiao, Shang Dayong stood up to leave. Xia added, "I’ll ask the Secretary later and see what profession he likes! Regardless of the profession, they have to wear underwear, and they always have to put up a fight before things happen..."

...

Wan Ming walked into the office with a grim face. Tang Ye asked curiously, "You look so serious, what’s wrong?"

Wan Ming said coldly, "I just ran into Shang Dayong. That guy was involved in the chemical plant explosion all those years ago."

Acting on Tang Ye’s instructions, he had been investigating the town’s chemical plant. The facility had exploded several years prior, resulting in multiple deaths and leaving many injured and disabled. Today, the fact that many employees at the Qinge Garment Factory were disabled was a direct consequence of that disaster.

"I checked Shang Dayong’s account records. In the month before the accident, his account received a large sum of money. Later, he also received compensation because his brother and sister-in-law died in the accident. He was the only one who received the full amount of compensation."

Tang Ye’s expression turned icy. "These people are truly wicked. By the way, didn't Shang Dayong have a niece? She was the rightful beneficiary of that compensation."

Wan Ming grew more agitated as he spoke. "After his brother and sister-in-law died, the niece was taken in by them. She’s in the first year of middle school this year. A few days ago, she withdrew from school, claiming she couldn't continue. From what I’ve gathered, she was at the top of her class. When teachers did a home visit, they heard from Shang Dayong’s wife that the niece had gone to live with relatives out of town to work!"

Tang Ye sensed something was wrong. "Working? Wouldn't that make her a child laborer? I fear the girl is in grave danger."

Wan Ming grabbed his hair in frustration. "Those sons of bitches, they didn't even spare their own niece. They have absolutely no humanity..."

Tang Ye pondered for a moment, piecing the situation together. "Contact those relatives and see if you can find the girl. Arrange for surveillance. I don’t believe he could have done this perfectly; even the most cunning person will leave a trail."

Wan Ming cracked his knuckles. "I’ll have people watching in twenty-four-hour shifts!"

...

The party committee meeting held that afternoon focused on the requisition and demolition work for the Aiou Electric factory site. The first installment of funds from Aiou Electric had already been transferred. With twenty million yuan earmarked for the demolition, the coffers of Pinghu Town were suddenly flush with cash.

With money available, people’s minds began to churn. A portion of the demolition funds would go to the residents, but the rest could be pocketed! Over the past few days, Xu Yiping had made several trips to the county to report on the progress, a maneuver everyone knew was a way to claim credit.

Once the demolition plan was approved by county leaders, Xu Yiping organized a meeting to announce the details: "This demolition is time-sensitive and the tasks are heavy. The town party committee is establishing a demolition team. I will serve as team leader, Comrade Haiqiao will be the deputy leader, and other departments must actively coordinate to ensure we complete the task within two months."

Tang Ye noticed Chen Zhihua’s face turn ashen. Xu Yiping had made no prior communication, announcing this directly at the meeting to humiliate Chen Zhihua. The demolition leadership team could function without Tang Ye, but by convention, the deputy leader should have been Chen Zhihua. Yet, Xu Yiping had ignored him entirely.

Everyone turned their gaze to Chen Zhihua. Unexpectedly, Executive Deputy Town Mayor Wang Kaicheng spoke up first: "Secretary, this project was secured by Tang Ye. Shouldn't his name be added to the demolition team list?"

Wang Kaicheng appeared to be speaking up for Tang Ye, but in reality, he was reminding Xu Yiping not to forget him. Xu Yiping smiled and explained patiently, "Demolition requires an understanding of Pinghu and involves many complex aspects. Comrade Tang Ye’s strength lies in investment attraction; let him focus his work where he excels!"

Xu Yiping’s meaning was clear: the team list was finalized, and no one should have any other ideas.

Xia Haiqiao wore a triumphant smile. The cake was large, but every additional person meant a smaller slice; the fewer people involved, the more there was for the rest of them. Tang Ye and Chen Zhihua exchanged glances but said nothing. Wang Kaicheng’s intervention signaled that cracks were already forming in the opposing faction due to the uneven distribution of benefits.

When the meeting ended, Tang Ye went into Chen Zhihua’s office and closed the door. Chen Zhihua slammed the table hard and sneered, "I’ve never seen such shameless people, packing the demolition office with all their cronies! They’re all looking to suck blood from this project! This is the hard-earned money of the people! We absolutely cannot let them succeed."

Tang Ye held a different view. "Mayor Chen, while there is profit in demolition, eating too much rich food will only lead to an upset stomach."

Chen Zhihua suspected that Tang Ye was still underestimating Xu Yiping’s greed and tactics. "Previous demolition issues were all handled by Xu Yiping. Even though the higher-ups knew there were problems, they turned a blind eye. Their demolition style is barbaric; they often carry out forced demolitions in the middle of the night. There was one household with only an elderly person, and they literally buried the person alive. By the time they were rescued, the person was dying, and the compensation wasn't even enough to cover medical bills. The old man died in injustice. His son tried to seek justice, but every time he petitioned, he was dragged back and eventually sent to a mental hospital."

Tang Ye hadn't realized that Xu Yiping and his cohorts were so cold-blooded. Furthermore, he felt that Chen Zhihua had been defeated by Xu Yiping so many times that he was now paralyzed by fear. "Let's wait and see how things develop," Tang Ye comforted him.

Tang Ye’s calmness surprised Chen Zhihua, who realized upon reflection that he had been too anxious for quick results. He changed the subject. "The county audit team came to check the accounts, and the two hundred thousand for the nursing home was actually filled in. Xu Yiping reacts quickly!"

Tang Ye also felt the cunning of the "old turtle" of Pinghu. "By robbing Peter to pay Paul, won't it leave a trail?"

Chen Zhihua waved his hand helplessly and said in a deep voice, "The higher-ups have already labeled the case closed and decided not to pursue it."

Townships sometimes shifted funds around; as long as the total balance appeared correct, there was a certain margin for manipulation. Tang Ye took a deep breath. He knew that Xu Yiping was very close to the County Party Committee Deputy Secretary, Gao Zhanjun. It was only because he had Gao Zhanjun covering for him that he dared to be so autocratic.

Returning to his office, Tang Ye received a call from Wan Ming. Wan Ming’s tone was solemn. "My people have arrived out of town and found Shang Dayong’s distant relative, but we didn't find his niece."

Tang Ye stood up from his chair abruptly. "Arrest Shang Dayong’s wife immediately."

Shang Dayong was cunning, but starting with his wife would make it easier to break through.