Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 391 The Woman Who Plays Hard to Get

Jiang Xiaohua was a little breathless from Liao Jinshen's embrace. She pushed against his chest and whispered, "Jinshen, this is a tea room. What if someone comes in?"

"What's there to be afraid of? This manor is my territory. I can do whatever I want, and nobody can stop me!"

"Jin Shen, you've had too much to drink tonight, haven't you? There aren't even any beds here."

"Then let's go to the room."

Jiang Xiaohua smoothed her messy hair and straightened her clothes, giving him a charming glance: "You're so clumsy. Let's go, lead the way."

She had already made up her mind: since Liao Jinshen wanted to sleep with her, she would let him have his way.

If Yuan Jin gets promoted, and Wu Zhiyuan can't be relied upon, then they can rely on the Liao family.

They have money, and in Qingyan, money equals power.

Yuan Jin is a frequent visitor to Liao Chenggong's villa.

Liao Jinshen couldn't wait any longer. He grabbed Jiang Xiaohua's hand and half-dragged, half-pulled her out of the tea room.

He led Jiang Xiaohua through several corridors with practiced ease, arriving at a secluded detached building, where he swiped a card to open the door to a luxury suite on the second floor.

This is his private suite.

On this bed, many women have given themselves to him.

The room was spacious and luxurious, with the lighting adjusted to an ambiguous warm yellow.

As soon as he entered the room, Liao Jinshen couldn't wait to push Jiang Xiaohua onto the bed and kiss her eagerly, his hands roaming over her body.

Jiang Xiaohua readily unbuttoned the top two buttons of Liao Jinshen's shirt, her movements practiced and alluring.

Her response excited Liao Jinshen even more, and he became even bolder in his actions.

Although Jiang Xiaohua is over forty, she is very well-maintained, with firm skin and an attractive figure.

After the storm, Liao Jinshen felt completely drained, and he lay limply on the bed, panting heavily.

Jiang Xiaohua sat up, tidied her long, disheveled hair, lit a cigarette, and leaned lazily against the headboard.

"Jin Shen, you've got what you wanted tonight, are you satisfied?"

"Very satisfied, Sister Jiang truly lives up to her reputation."

"Jin Shen, being satisfied isn't enough. Your Sister Jiang doesn't just accompany anyone."

After tonight, our relationship will be anything but ordinary.

"Don't worry, Sister Jiang. I, Liao Jinshen, am not the kind of man who reneges on his promises after the fact. Just tell me what you need."

"Silly brother, what I want is not just empty words."

I've been in Qingyan for so many years, what kind of men haven't I seen?

But someone as young, energetic, and caring as you is truly the first.

In my heart, I consider you a close confidant.

She paused, her voice turning mournful: "In this world, it's not easy for women, especially for women like me."

It looks glamorous, but who knows how many eyes are watching, how many open and hidden attacks are brewing.

Sometimes, there's not even anyone you can confide in or lean on.

Liao Jinshen pulled her into his arms and said softly, "Sister Jiang, from now on I am yours."

I'll be the first to object to anyone who dares to disrespect you!

As you know, the Liao family wields immense power in Qingyan County!

Jiang Xiaohua said quietly, "Silly little brother, I'm more than ten years older than you. In a few years, when your horizons broaden and you're surrounded by many young and beautiful girls, will you still remember who I am?"

"Of course I remember!" Liao Jinshen cupped Jiang Xiaohua's powdered face in his hands. "Sister Jiang, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. Those young girls are as tender as cucumbers. They don't know anything. They lie in bed like zombies. What's the point?"

I like you just the way you are—charming, sophisticated, skillful, and caring.

Jiang Xiaohua chuckled and pinched his cheek: "You have such a sweet tongue."

However, after hearing these kinds of things so many times, I just listen to them without really listening.

Men, they're all about novelty. Once the novelty wears off, I'm like old clothes, thrown into a corner of the closet, completely forgotten.

Liao Jinshen grew anxious: "Sister Jiang, what will it take for you to believe me?"

Jiang Xiaohua slowly finished her last puff of cigarette, stubbed it out in the ashtray, and said softly, "Jin Shen, whether I believe you or not, I won't look at what you say, but at what you do in the future."

If I ever encounter any difficulties in the future, and you remember our kindness tonight and lend me a hand, I'll be content.

"Don't worry, Sister Jiang, I will definitely not let you down."

Jiang Xiaohua wanted to put on her clothes, but Liao Jinshen took them away.

"Sister Jiang, I want more."

"Jin Shen, even good things should be eaten one bite at a time. Swallowing them whole can easily cause choking," Jiang Xiaohua chuckled. "As long as the green hills remain, there's always firewood to burn. Understand?"

Jiang Xiaohua used a strategy of feigned indifference to lure him in.

She wanted Liao Jinshen to be infatuated with her body, but she also wanted to keep her distance. If they were together every day, they would definitely get tired of each other.

"No, Sister Jiang, I love you so much! Your body and skills are better than any other girl's."

"Jin Shen, you know that Secretary Yuan and County Chief Chen are both at the resort. If they find out that we're together, what will they think?"

Liao Jinshen released his grip, his face full of reluctance: "Then, Sister Jiang, when will we see each other again?"

As Jiang Xiaohua dressed, she gently comforted him, "Honey, don't worry. We live in the same small county, not some distant place. Anything is fine with me."

Are you free tomorrow night?

"Sweetie, we'll talk about it tomorrow night. Who knows, maybe some girl will be bothering you tomorrow."

"Sister Jiang, I am happiest and most blissful when I am with you."

After getting dressed, Jiang Xiaohua touched up her lipstick in front of the mirror and tidied her messy hair.

Before leaving, she kissed Liao Jinshen on the forehead.

"Jin Shen, you did a lot of work just now, you need to get a good night's sleep."

Our relationship is like a gentle stream, a constant flow; it's about each other's secrets and reliance. Do you understand?

Liao Jinshen was completely charmed by her and nodded repeatedly, "I understand, I understand, Sister Jiang, I'll listen to you."

Jiang Xiaohua smiled with satisfaction, then gracefully turned around, opened the door and walked out, not forgetting to gently close the door behind her.

Jiang Xiaohua sneered inwardly: all that charm and pitifulness she displayed in front of Liao Jinshen just now was nothing more than a precisely orchestrated performance.

Liao Jinshen, a spoiled rich kid, is easy to hook and easy to control. A few sweet words and a little physical pleasure are enough to make him devoted to you for a while.

The reason she allowed Liao Jinshen to succeed was because she was attracted by the Liao family's prominent background and enormous wealth.

……

Wu Zhiyuan's secretary has been changed from Wang Can to Fang Cheng.

As a leader, it is impossible to trust a secretary appointed by your opponent.

Otherwise, every move and every word will be known to the other party.

Lu Xinghua, the director of the county government office, came in.

Without Wu Zhiyuan, Lü Xinghua would still be a deputy section chief, and would still be working in the archives department of a powerless government office, looking at files.

Lu Xinghua placed a stack of printed papers on Wu Zhiyuan's desk: "County Chief Wu, regarding the task you instructed me to complete last time—to gather information on successful individuals from Qingyan who are deputy-department-level or higher leaders, renowned professors and scholars, or senior executives of large enterprises—I have compiled a preliminary ledger here. Please take a look."

Wu Zhiyuan flipped through the table; it was clear and well-organized.

Information such as name, hometown, current work unit and position, major achievements, and contact with hometown is clearly displayed.

He quickly glanced through it and nodded: "Xinghua, very efficient and meticulous. Thank you for your hard work."

"Of course, County Chief Wu. This is just a preliminary investigation, and much information still needs to be verified and supplemented, such as contact information and individual willingness."

I plan to have the townships further coordinate, ideally establishing a regular communication channel.

"Yes, that's the right approach. We can't make it a dead file; we need to turn it into a living resource."

Wu Zhiyuan's gaze was fixed on Zhou Qiming, the CEO of Xunfeng Motors.

In China's automotive industry, Zhou Qiming's name is widely known.

Before Wu Zhiyuan came to Qingyan County, he already knew that Zhou Qiming was from Qingyan.

The roster provided by Lü Xinghua shows that Zhou Qiming's ancestral home is Zhoujia Village, Shahe Town.

Wu Zhiyuan gestured for Lü Xinghua to sit down and asked, "Xinghua, how much do you know about Zhou Qiming?"

"County Chief Wu, Zhou Qiming is a big fish, but he's also a fish with thorns in his heart."

His reluctance to invest in his hometown, or even to return, stems from certain events that occurred in the village years ago.

"Then tell me what you know."

"The Zhou family was one of the poorest families in Zhoujia Village back then."

Zhou Qiming's father, Zhou Dafu, was an honest and simple farmer, and his mother had always been in poor health.

Zhou Qiming is the eldest son, with two younger brothers and a younger sister. The family of six squeezes into three leaky mud-brick houses.

Zhou Qiming was an exceptionally diligent student and became the first person from the village to be admitted to a prestigious university in Beijing, which caused a sensation throughout Shahe Town at the time.

But behind this glory lay even more difficult days for the Zhou family.

To raise the money for the trip to Beijing and the tuition, Zhou Dafu sold everything he could at home, including grain, piglets, and even the money he had saved for medicine for Zhou Qiming's mother. He also borrowed a lot of money.

After Zhou Qiming went to school, things became even more difficult for the family.

The problem lies in the allocation of land and residential land.

During the first round of land contracting in rural areas, the Zhou family received a small amount of land due to having many children and few able-bodied men, and most of it was remote dry land.

After Zhou Qiming went to university, according to the policy at the time, his household registration was transferred out, and theoretically he was no longer a member of the collective economic organization.

Some village officials, mainly the then Party Secretary and Director, had the idea of ​​taking back his share of farmland for food rations and redistributing it.

Zhou Dafu went to argue, saying that his son was going to study and would come back later, and that the family was in such dire straits, so could they postpone it?

But the village officials disagreed, and they said some very harsh things, such as "You're a college student now, and you still want to keep these few acres of land in the village" and "You don't pay your taxes anymore, but you still want to occupy the land."

In the end, they forcibly took away some of the good farmland and gave them a more remote and less fertile sloping plot of land in return.

Lu Xinghua continued, "That's not all. The Zhou family's old house has been in disrepair for years. When it rains heavily outside, it drizzles inside, and the walls are cracked."

Zhou Dafu wants to apply for a plot of land to rebuild his house or move it to another location.

However, the village officials hinted that they should give gifts and host a banquet.

The Zhou family can't even afford to eat, let alone give gifts. They've submitted applications several times, but they've all disappeared without a trace.

Once, the village party secretary got drunk and said in front of many people: "Zhou Dafu, isn't your son successful?"

Tell him to buy you a big house in Beijing! Why are you still thinking about this run-down place in the village?

This angered Zhou Dafu so much that he almost fainted on the spot.

Wu Zhiyuan frowned. These things didn't sound complicated, but in those days, for a family struggling on the poverty line who pinned all their hopes on their son, it was undoubtedly adding insult to injury and a deeply unforgettable wound.

"And there's something even worse. It was probably during the summer vacation of Zhou Qiming's sophomore year that he didn't go home because he was working part-time."

His second brother was fifteen years old at the time, and he planted some sweet potatoes on the hillside that had been converted from his family's land.

The sloping land is next to the fields belonging to the village secretary's cousin.

That cousin's family was arrogant and domineering. They insisted that Zhou's second brother had stolen their field ridges and trampled their rice seedlings. They blocked the door, cursed, and even hit Zhou's second brother.

When Zhou Dafu went to argue with them, he was pushed to the ground by the brothers and injured his back.

When the matter escalated to the village level, the village officials clearly favored their own family, and the matter was eventually dropped.

Zhou Dafu's back injury wasn't treated in time, and it never fully healed, leaving him unable to do heavy work.

"When Zhou Qiming found out, his voice trembled with anger on the phone."

It is said that he wanted to ask for leave to come back and demand an explanation, but his mother persuaded him to stay by crying.

From then on, Zhou Qiming felt disheartened towards his hometown, especially towards the village officials and some of his fellow villagers in Zhoujia Village.