?45: Chapter 45 Mayor 45: Chapter 45 Mayor “Oh!

    Secretary Xie!

    What brings you here?

    Just look at the mud everywhere in our village.

    If you had notified me earlier, I would have welcomed you at the entrance.

    We don’t even have tea or water to offer you,” said Ye Canghai, immediately nodding and bowing as he walked up to the somewhat balding middle-aged man at the door.

    “This rain has been pouring for three days and nights, how could I not come see how your village is coping with such a serious situation?” Xie Heguo said, pointing to the woman next to him who was dressed in a ladies’ suit, wearing glasses, with permed hair that gave her an intellectual yet somewhat imposing air.

    “This is the new Director of the Rural Affairs Office at the Township Government, Director Ren Peiling.” He then introduced Ren Peiling to Ye Canghai.

    Ye Canghai’s eyes became round like he had stuck them into Chinese drumsticks, he said with a beaming smile, “Director Ren, hello, hello!

    Welcome to Wanbao Village for inspection.

    If you have any suggestions, please feel free to express them.

    I guarantee full cooperation.”

    As Ye Canghai shook hands with Ren Peiling, he found her as slippery as an eel.

    He thought to himself, if his own wife were a cup of fragrant tea, then Director Ren would definitely be a cup of aged daughter red.

    “Cough cough cough!

    Everyone, quiet down!

    Quiet!

    Next, we will have our Ping’an Town Mayor and Party Committee Secretary, Secretary Xie, speak.

    Let’s welcome him!” Ye Canghai shouted at the top of his lungs, bringing Xie Heguo into the temple.

    Liu Hun was astonished by the grandeur of Xie Heguo’s arrival, there were at least a dozen or twenty people in his entourage.

    “Folks of Wanbao Village, today I did not come here for a mere formality but to address real issues.

    With the heavy rain lasting three nights and days, has our Wanbao Village encountered any specific problems?” Xie Heguo addressed the villagers in an official tone, making sure to maintain his dignity in front of his female subordinate, and showing his dedication to serving the people.

    The villagers of Wanbao Village didn’t realize that Mayor Xie’s words were just high-pitched but empty rhetoric, and many immediately took him at his word.

    “Secretary Xie, my house was destroyed by the flash flood, and my old man was trapped inside.

    If it weren’t for the timely rescue by our villagers, he would have been gone.”

    “Yeah, Secretary Xie, I’ve lost my house, lost my land, how are we going to live after this?

    Secretary Xie, you are our official parent, you can’t ignore us!”

    “Secretary Xie, just look at Wanbao Village; the flash flood has destroyed half of the village.

    We are left with nothing, how are we supposed to live?

    Secretary Xie, you must save us!”

    “...”

    Upon hearing this, Xie Heguo’s heart skipped a beat.

    He hadn’t planned to get embroiled in an actual issue during a routine inspection, to impress this attractive subordinate with some background; he wouldn’t have come even if carried on a palanquin.

    But now he found himself in a real predicament.

    “Cough cough cough...

    My fellow villagers of Wanbao Village, nobody wishes for natural disasters and calamities.

    As for what you have suffered, I personally express my deepest sympathy and hope that everyone can unite to overcome this hardship!” Xie Heguo continued to offer nothing but empty reassurances, failing to provide any concrete help.

    “Good!

    Very good!

    Well said, Mayor Xie!

    Let’s give him a round of applause!” said Ye Canghai, sycophantically leading the applause, calling out to the villagers.

    “Good?

    What’s good about it?

    Mayor Xie, could you perhaps offer something substantial?

    I have neither a place to stay nor food to eat.

    Doesn’t our town have any kind of aid or subsidy?” A voice came from the back of the crowd.

    Given the small temple and the number of people, nobody saw who had spoken.

    Xie Heguo was publicly contradicted, and his face instantly darkened.

    He hadn’t even had a chance to speak much when another outcry arose.

    “Mayor Xie!

    Will you take care of us or not?

    Could you please say something?

    Look at the condition of our village.

    What are we going to do in the future?

    At least give us some hope!”

    Seeing the villagers becoming more and more agitated, Xie Heguo hurriedly spoke up, “My dear fellow citizens, please calm down!

    This was only an initial assessment visit, and we did not expect the situation in Wanbao Village to be so dire.

    As for any follow-up arrangements, we need to discuss them back at the office before we can give you all an answer.”

    After saying this, Xie Heguo urgently signaled to a few of his subordinates, preparing to leave Wanbao Village.

    “Mayor Xie!

    It’s been several days since the disaster and you just arrived in Wanbao Village.

    If you’re going to just say a few words and leave, what does that amount to?

    We want aid!

    We need support!”

    “Right!

    Mayor Xie, over the past few days, it was Liu Hun who has been spending his own money to help us all.

    Otherwise, we would’ve starved!

    Mayor Xie, please have some mercy on us!” Aunt Jin in the front row was also stirred up by those words, thinking that things couldn’t go on like this.

    Who was this Liu Hun, having heard his name twice from the villagers, Ren Peiling at Xie Heguo’s side couldn’t help but wonder about the kind of person he was.

    While she was curious, the villagers around suddenly began to grow restless.

    “We want relief!

    We need subsidies!

    We want money!”

    “Yes!

    If you don’t hand out money today, we won’t let you leave!

    Without money, we can’t survive!”

    “We won’t release anyone until we see the money!

    We’re almost starving, and no one cares!”

    ...

    No one knew where they came from, but a few loud shouts abruptly ignited the surrounding villagers like sparks to kindling, and they immediately began to crowd around Xie Heguo.

    “Back off!

    Back off!

    What do you think you’re doing?

    This is Secretary Xie!

    He’s Wu Secretary...

    ow...” Ye Canghai had initially wanted to make a good impression, so he stood in front of Xie Heguo.

    He hadn’t expected the enraged villagers to simply drag him aside.

    “What are you all trying to do?

    Have you all lost your minds?

    I’m the Mayor, who’s pulling at my clothes, my new leather shoes!” Xie Heguo had never anticipated that his visit to understand the people’s sentiments would result in him being cornered by a mob of troublemakers.

    “Something’s not right!” Liu Hun, who had been standing aside, felt something was amiss from the moment Xie Heguo entered.

    He observed for a while and seemed to have found some clues.

    “What else could be wrong?

    It’s just those old women wanting to demand money from the township!

    Hunzi, you have to help, Canghai has been swallowed by the crowd.” Fen Ran looked around, worried, craning his neck like a long-necked goose, and truly didn’t see Ye Canghai anywhere.

    “Qin Yue, protect Teacher Du.

    Yue, push through and don’t let anyone harm the Mayor or Director Ren.

    Bai Lian, get Gazi to find me the gong and hemp rope!

    Quick!” Liu Hun instructed the nearby women.

    The women nodded immediately and set to work.

    It was good that they worked in the fields on regular days, or else they would’ve been nearly choked by the crowd.

    Du Yueling followed Qin Yue to a corner.

    The more she looked, the more worried and scared she became.

    The scene that unfolded in her mind was summarized by one word: “riot.”

    “Clang!” A loud gong sound echoed through the air, and the villagers, who had been like headless flies agitating to confront the Mayor, instantly fell silent and looked up to see Liu Hun standing on a table with the gong in his hand.

    “Listen up, villagers of Wanbao Village!

    I’ve settled your concerns about food and housing.

    Now everyone get out!” Standing on the table, Liu Hun towered over the villagers, pointing authoritatively towards the temple door like thunder striking down, and no one dared to utter a sound.

    “Who are you?

    Get down!

    We need to eat!

    We need to live!

    The Mayor has to solve this for us!

    Otherwise, we won’t leave today!” Another voice erupted from within the crowd.

    Originally silenced by Liu Hun, the crowd again became restless.

    Liu Hun, with a stern glance, stretched his hand to the Gazi by the table and said, “Gazi, give me the hemp rope!” After taking the rope from Gazi’s hand, he leaped off the table like a tiger pouncing down the mountain and swiftly moved through the crowd, grabbing hold of someone’s collar from behind.

    “Hmph!

    Inciting villagers to cause trouble, besieging the Mayor!

    Trying to run away now?!” Liu Hun remarked as he dragged the person over and quickly tied them up securely, then tossed the person onto the table like carrying a small chick.

    “Hehe!

    You’re stuck like an old cow to a tree post, no escape for you today!” Gazi chuckled as he twisted the captive’s ear.

    Standing atop the table, Liu Hun stepped on the person and demanded, “Speak!

    How many of you are there?

    Who else?”

    As soon as he asked, several people in the crowd began to push towards the temple door.

    Liu Hun, seeing more from his vantage point, immediately jumped down from the table and raced to the door, catching three who tried to slip away.

    In just half a minute, Liu Hun had pinpointed and exposed the troublemakers.

    At this point, Xie Heguo was a disheveled mess, his clothes twisted and hat askew, genuinely worried that the villagers would strip and devour him.

    He had just managed to catch his breath.

    Ren Peiling, who had initially been by his side, was now pushed several meters away, but thankfully Fen Ran was there to protect her, so she was unharmed.

    Regaining his composure, Xie Heguo boiled with rage and, pointing at the mud-covered Ye Canghai who was getting up from the ground, he burst out, “Well done, Village Chief Ye!

    It seems Wanbao Village wants to rebel!

    If something really happens today...

    you will have brought disaster upon yourselves!”

    Ye Canghai, like a mute having to swallow bitterness, had been pushed and shoved, swallowing mud, and oblivious to everything.

    He had barely managed to stand up when he was already getting a lecture from Xie Heguo, clueless about what had happened.

    “Mayor Xie, this has little to do with the villagers of Wanbao Village.

    There were people who sneaked into the temple and deliberately instigated the villagers to make trouble,” Liu Hun hurriedly explained to Xie Heguo, knowing that if the Mayor’s ire turned towards them, not only could they forget about future aids and support, but many might face problems as well.

    “What?

    Instigating?

    Who’s behind this?” Xie Heguo looked at Liu Hun, a young man he had never seen and had no idea where he came from, full of questions.

    Immediately, Liu Hun showcased the four securely tied men, pressed against the table as if at a struggle session, then reported to Xie Heguo, “Mayor Xie, these four were the ringleaders stirring up the crowd, inciting trouble among the villagers.”

    Xie Heguo, surprised at the four men tied up like dumplings, took a closer look at Liu Hun, internally admitting that the young man was rather capable, having captured the provocateurs so efficiently and without much commotion.