Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 411 Flight Attendant Girlfriend

Liang Dongming was short of money at the time, so he kept three mistresses in Jiangzhou: an art school student, a flight attendant, and a female subordinate.

Keeping a mistress costs money; how much does he have in his legal income?

Liao Chenggong is the richest man in Qingyan and is very generous, with gifts starting at a million yuan.

Having no reason to refuse, he feigned sincerity and said, "President Liao, you're putting me in a difficult position. Leaders shouldn't accept gifts from companies; aren't you making me make a mistake?"

Liao Chenggong chimed in, "Secretary Liang, what are you talking about! This is hardly a gift."

A little local specialty, a small token of appreciation, it's worthless.

This golden Buddha is just a work of art. It looks bright, but it doesn't actually contain much gold. The main thing is the intention to pray for blessings.

If you don't accept it, then you are looking down on me, Liao Chenggong, and on the goodwill that Daling Group has for you.

Our company is counting on you to make even greater contributions to Qingyan under your leadership!

"This will not happen again." Liang Dongming took a sip of water. "But President Liao, we have stated beforehand that the premise of supporting the development of enterprises is legal and compliant operation."

Safety, environmental protection, and the obligations we should fulfill—none of them can be neglected.

If I discover in the future that you are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, or if there are any other problems, don't blame me, Liang Dongming, for turning my back on you.

Liao Chenggong was overjoyed and immediately said, "Secretary Liang, don't worry! Although I, Liao Chenggong, am a rough man, I know the rules and I am grateful for kindness."

With your strong support, if we don't run the business well and bring honor to the county, what kind of person am I, Liao Chenggong?

Liang Dongming picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and said nothing.

Silence means consent. Liao Chenggong stood up: "Secretary Liang, I won't disturb your rest any longer. If you need any instructions in the future, just let me know, and I'll be there whenever you call."

After Liao Chenggong left, Liang Dongming opened the seafood box.

On top was a layer of crushed ice sealed with plastic wrap, and on the ice surface were a few king crab legs and a few small abalones frozen solid.

Liang Dongming couldn't believe that Liao Chenggong would deliver seafood late at night, consisting of just a few king crab legs and some cheap abalone.

He pushed the seafood aside, reached his fingers into the hidden compartment, and touched the neat stacks of banknotes.

A full 500,000.

Then he opened the cloth bag, took out the mahogany box, and placed the golden Buddha on the coffee table.

The golden Buddha gleamed with golden light.

He looked at the base and weighed it in his hand.

It should be pure gold. How could Liao Chenggong, as the richest man in Qingyan, only give away one piece of craftwork?

At the current gold price, this statue would cost at least 700,000 to 800,000.

He carried the seafood box and gift set to the bedroom and put them in the closet.

He kept three women in Jiangzhou.

A 21-year-old second-year dance student at the provincial art school spends more than 20,000 yuan a month on rent and living expenses.

That flight attendant has high standards and spends a lot of money, costing at least 30,000 to 40,000 yuan a month, not counting the gifts she receives every now and then.

Liang Dongming was attracted to her beauty. Flight attendant? She's just a flight attendant on an airplane. What's the essential difference between her and a restaurant server?

Another one was his subordinate from the Municipal Transportation Bureau. She was a beautiful divorced woman in her early thirties, very sensible, and never talked about official status or becoming a permanent employee.

But being sensible doesn't mean not spending money. She has her eye on a house in Jiangzhou, but she's still short 300,000 yuan for the down payment, and she's already mentioned it to him twice.

With three mouths to feed, the monthly expenses are close to 100,000 yuan, not including large expenses such as buying a house and a car.

The meager legal income on his paycheck wasn't even enough to fill a tooth gap.

Fortunately, he made some money while he was at the Municipal Transportation Bureau.

But there are some people he doesn't dare accept money from.

He dared to accept money from Liao Chenggong.

Firstly, Liao Chenggong was rich, and one or two million was nothing to him; secondly, Liao Chenggong needed his help.

"Serving the people is what officials say?" This is what they say to ordinary people, to reporters, and to their superiors. His answer is simple: money and beautiful women.

Lying in bed, Liang Dongming suddenly missed his flight attendant lover.

Although she was essentially a waitress, her face, figure, and temperament were in no way inferior to those of movie stars.

Flight attendants are often unreachable on airplanes.

What about tonight?

Liang Dongming dialed the flight attendant's number, and surprisingly, the call went through.

"Honey, are you still up so late? Did you miss me?" The flight attendant's voice was melodious and pleasant.

As a flight attendant, her voice, like her appearance, is very alluring.

"Honey, no flight today?"

"No, I'm resting. I was just about to look for you when you called me. Don't we have some kind of telepathic connection?"

"Baby, I miss you so much right now. I'm so lonely by myself."

"Hmph! You only think of me when you're lonely?"

"How could that be? I think about you every day. I want to hear your voice and see your face."

"By the way, honey, didn't you say you wanted to get a new car? Which one did you like?"

"Really? You agreed to get me a new car? I've got my eye on that new Porsche, the crimson red one, it's really beautiful, but it's a bit expensive, it might cost close to a million on the road."

However, if you feel too much pressure, I see there's a BMW that's half the price.

Liang Dongming readily agreed, "A Porsche it is. My woman needs to look good when she drives one."

That BMW isn't good enough for you. If you like crimson, then order crimson.

"Really? Honey, you're so amazing! I love you to death!"

"Just saying you love me isn't enough. I want to see you right now, I really do. Video chat?"

"Now? I've already showered and am in bed..."

"It's perfect lying in bed, even more convenient. Quick, let me see. Let me see what my baby is wearing tonight."

The video call connected.

The flight attendant wore a sexy silk slip dress with a low neckline. Under the dim lighting in the bedroom, her skin was as white as snow, and her curves were faintly visible.

……

Qingyan County is neither very big nor very small.

The Qinghe River flows through the town, dividing it into two halves.

Hedong is the old city area, with narrow streets and old houses.

Hexi is the so-called new district, which was planned by the previous leaders, but it was never actually built; it just resulted in a few more residential communities.

As an economically underdeveloped and impoverished county, Qingyan's urban development is lackluster.

But it's not entirely without its highlights.

For example, Qingyan Pedestrian Street.

This is the face of Qingyan County.

This street was built by former county magistrate Yu Jinxing under pressure and overcame numerous difficulties, and it was only completed last year.

Yu Jinxing had ideas and wanted to do something, but many things were not accomplished due to the obstruction of Yuan Jin, the then county party secretary. The pedestrian street was the only one that was successfully built.

The pedestrian street stretches 600 meters from the county government in the east to Qinghe in the west. The road is paved with granite, and the facades of the buildings on both sides are uniform antique-style buildings with upturned eaves, red pillars and green tiles, which have a bit of the flavor of ancient towns in Jiangnan.

Every twenty meters along the street, there is a flower bed planted with osmanthus trees and camellias, and stone benches for people to rest.

At night, when the lights come on and the neon lights flash, people come and go, creating a bustling scene.

This street is the most bustling area in Qingyan County, lined with shops.

But behind the bustling scene, one group has been overlooked: the small vendors.

Wu Zhiyuan had already heard about this and complained that the urban management officers were too brutal in their enforcement, often overturning stalls and confiscating things.

Accompanied by Lü Xinghua, Fang Cheng, and others, Wu Zhiyuan took some time to conduct a covert investigation of the pedestrian street.

"Xinghua, what do you think of this street?" Wu Zhiyuan asked as he looked around.

"That's right. It's not easy to find a street like this in a place like Qingyan."

Yu Jinxing still wanted to get things done, and he wasn't a corrupt official. His current fate is truly regrettable.

"Yes, sometimes it's really hard to get anything done."

Wu Zhiyuan felt the same way.

Just like Liang Dongming, who started stealing peaches from the new campus of the Provincial Vocational College after arriving in Qingyan.

In other work, he was also suppressed and hindered at every turn.

"Xinghua, I always feel that the pedestrian street is lacking a bit of vibrancy."

Lu Xinghua continued, "Yes, there are few street vendors, and they operate secretly because the Urban Management Bureau strictly prohibits setting up stalls on pedestrian streets."

Wu Zhiyuan pointed to a large open space on the side of the street and said, "Look, it would be great if we set up a few food stalls here, selling kebabs, fried chicken, and stinky tofu, and put up a few tables and chairs."

When you get tired from shopping, sit down, have something to eat, and rest your feet.

People come here not only to buy things, but also to relax.

With food available, more people shop; with more people shopping, business improves. It's a mutually reinforcing cycle.

Fang Cheng said, "County Chief Wu is right. When I was in college, there was a food street next to the school. It was packed with people every night, and tourists from other places would come specifically to eat there."

That street used to be a mess, but the government later planned it out, bringing the vendors together and implementing unified management and cleaning, and it has become a landmark of the city.

As the group was talking, a commotion suddenly broke out in front of them.

"Are you going to let go or not? If you don't, I'm not going to be polite!"

Ahead, urban management officers are surrounding a street vendor.

Wu Zhiyuan quickly stepped forward.

Two urban management officers pushed and shoved a tricycle that had been converted into a sweet potato roasting cart.

An old-fashioned tin stove was mounted on the vehicle, with a sign that read "Roasted Sweet Potatoes" hanging next to it.

An elderly woman with gray hair was clinging tightly to the handlebars, crying and pleading, "Please! Don't take my bike away!"

I'm leaving now, I'm leaving now! We haven't even opened for business yet..."

Standing nearby was a burly, overweight city management officer, who seemed to be a minor leader. He berated him, "We've warned you time and again not to set up a stall, but you're playing cat and mouse with us! Have you been ignoring our warnings?"

The old woman pleaded, "Boss, I have no choice. My husband died young, and I only have one son. He fell on the construction site and is now paralyzed for life. The compensation hasn't arrived yet."

My daughter-in-law ran off with someone else, and my granddaughter's living expenses and school fees are all up to me!

With a "bang," the cart was overturned and the stove rolled to the side, spilling out several half-cooked sweet potatoes.

The old woman cried anxiously, "Please, please don't impound my car, I'll leave right now!"

The chubby city management officer ordered the other two officers, "Improve the vehicle and take it back to the station!"

"Stop!" Wu Zhiyuan strode over, his face ashen.

None of the urban management officers recognized Wu Zhiyuan.

If these guys ever occasionally read the local news, they'd all recognize Wu Zhiyuan.

They assumed Wu Zhiyuan was a busybody and impatiently said, "Urban management officers are enforcing the law, don't obstruct official business! Go do what you're supposed to do!"

Wu Zhiyuan said coldly, "This is violent law enforcement! Pushing and shoving an elderly person who makes a living by selling sweet potatoes, overturning his car, and destroying his business—is this what you call law enforcement? I think it's just showing off and making a scene!"

The portly city management officer, seeing that the newcomer was hostile and full of a sense of justice, became somewhat less imposing and argued, "We are enforcing regulations and maintaining the city's appearance. Setting up stalls on pedestrian streets is strictly prohibited; this is a county regulation!"

"She set up a stall here haphazardly, affecting the city's appearance and polluting the environment. We shut her down according to the law. What's wrong with that? Don't you understand the rules?"

Wu Zhiyuan said sternly, "Rules are not for bullying people!"

The county's regulations are intended to make the city cleaner and more orderly, and to make people's lives more convenient and comfortable. They are not meant for you to take a spur-of-the-moment decision and cut off people's livelihoods!

Look at this old woman, look at her condition! How can you do this to her?