Chapter 30: Four Phone Calls
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“Song Bo went to prison because of the tricks Li Haotian played. He made Song Bo take the blame, using the excuse of other township government expenditures to get him to divert funds earmarked for poverty alleviation. Song Bo didn’t dare offend Li Haotian. He believed that with Li Haotian protecting him, nothing could happen to him, so he did whatever Li Haotian told him to do.”
“Once you agree to help Li Haotian, there will be a second time, then a third. Our county is impoverished, and every year a great deal of special funding for poverty alleviation is allocated. Every sum sent down from above is earmarked for a specific purpose. If you assign poverty-relief projects to certain companies, that alone wouldn’t be a major problem. But this time, the money was meant as subsidies for poor households. If you dared to withhold it, the elderly from every village in Fangshui Township would come demanding answers.”
“In the past, Song Bo and I were the ones who signed the false accounts. Song Bo then took the money, while Li Haotian left behind not a shred of evidence. Once the truth came out, Li Haotian would have completely washed his hands of it. Song Bo is proof of that.”
“Fortunately, I had the foresight to stop at falsifying the accounts. I didn’t pocket any money, so in the end, when they investigated, I only received a disciplinary penalty. Otherwise, I would have ended up behind bars too.”
Niu Dashan was gnashing his teeth with hatred. He poured out everything in one breath, then warned Lu Hao that if he dared to do such a thing, he would surely become another Song Bo someday.
Everything he had suffered today was thanks to Li Haotian, and naturally, he did not want Lu Hao to follow the same disastrous path.
After hearing Niu Dashan out, Lu Hao’s suspicions about the corruption in the Poverty Alleviation Office were fully confirmed. Sure enough, Li Haotian had been the mastermind behind it all.
After hanging up, Lu Hao remembered Li Haotian’s “warm and amiable” manner at the dinner table that evening, and a chill ran down his back. Once a person failed to hold the line, his entire life could be ruined.
Before long, Lu Hao also left Qiushui Restaurant.
On the way back, he called Liu Yuanda again. His cousin had already been released, and although the man had not called him, Lu Hao could not simply refuse to ask after him.
This time, the call did not say that the phone was switched off, but it rang endlessly without being answered.
Just as Lu Hao thought no one would pick up, the call suddenly connected.
“Cousin!” Lu Hao cried, his voice filled with excitement.
“Lu Hao, is that you? How have you been lately?” Liu Yuanda’s voice was as steady as ever, as though his removal from office had not affected him in the slightest.
“I’m doing all right. County Magistrate Li transferred me to Fangshui Township,” Lu Hao said.
He actually wanted to ask what the disciplinary inspection commission had discovered, but when the question reached his lips, he swallowed it. If Liu Yuanda did not bring it up himself, then he clearly did not wish to talk about it. Pressing him would only seem discourteous.
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“So my trouble has still managed to drag you down with me,” Liu Yuanda said with a sigh.
He and Li Zhen had never seen eye to eye. Lu Hao had also offended Li Zhen in the past, so once Liu Yuanda ran into trouble, Li Zhen would certainly not let Lu Hao off.
“Cousin, don’t say that. We’re civil servants, after all. It’s the same wherever we work,” Lu Hao hurriedly reassured him.
Whether or not his cousin had made a mistake, Liu Yuanda had always treated him exceptionally well over the years. Lu Hao sincerely cared about him and did not want him to feel guilty on his behalf.
“You’ve got a good attitude, kid. But after all these years under Li Zhen’s authority, Anxing County has become an impenetrable fortress. Even I couldn’t pry open a breach; instead, I suffered the backlash. So whatever you do, be cautious. Secretary Ye, who is taking over my position, has come down from the provincial government. Since she has only just arrived in Anxing County, many people will probably hesitate to use her. You need to find a way to catch her attention. It will benefit your future prospects.”
“Cousin, I understand.” Lu Hao nodded quickly, though he felt troubled inside. Attracting the attention of the new county party secretary was hardly as simple as merely saying so.
“To serve as an official is to do more practical things for the people. Although Fangshui Township is the poorest township in Anxing County, it is surrounded by mountains and water and has enormous potential for tourism and agriculture. Unfortunately, the chemical plant built there some years ago has polluted the local environment terribly. I tried several times to order the plant to shut down, but Li Zhen kept evading the issue. As for the actual conditions at the grassroots level, you should go and investigate them yourself.”
Lu Hao listened carefully. He knew that Liu Yuanda understood the various townships of Anxing County quite well. After all, no one who became county party secretary was an ordinary person.
Seizing the opportunity, he told Liu Yuanda about Li Haotian’s visit that evening. After listening, Liu Yuanda gave a cold laugh.
“You were right to handle it that way. You’ve clearly already reached your own conclusion, but don’t carry all the pressure on your shoulders. If I remember correctly, Hong Haifeng oversees poverty alleviation in Fangshui Township. Tell him about this as well.”
Lu Hao was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood the implications. Grateful, he said, “Thank you for reminding me, Cousin. I nearly forgot.”
Hong Haifeng was the executive deputy township head in charge of poverty alleviation, so he had every right to know what had happened that night.
As a subordinate, reporting on his work was a sign of respect toward his superior.
In Fangshui Township, Lu Hao could not avoid taking sides. He certainly could not stand with Li Haotian, so he could use this opportunity to test Hong Haifeng’s position.
If Hong Haifeng shared his views, then should Li Haotian try to deal with him again in the future, Hong Haifeng would surely speak up for him.
“Someone above spoke on my behalf, so being removed from office is already the best arrangement for me. I can take some time to rest. Fangshui Township has tremendous potential for escaping poverty, and I believe you can accomplish something significant at the grassroots level.” Before ending the call, Liu Yuanda did not forget to encourage Lu Hao.
Without realizing it, Lu Hao had already reached the township middle school.
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Although it was very late, he still called Hong Haifeng.
The phone rang only a few times before it was answered.
“Hello, Township Head Hong. Is this a convenient time to talk?” Lu Hao asked tentatively.
“Is that you, Little Lu? I’m not asleep yet. Go ahead—what is it?” Hong Haifeng’s voice was clear.
Lu Hao dispensed with unnecessary pleasantries and went straight to the point. He told Hong Haifeng about Li Haotian’s visit, explained his own thoughts, and asked for Hong Haifeng’s opinion.
“I saw you leaving the township government in Li Haotian’s official car today. I usually go to bed at ten, but I stayed awake tonight because I wanted to see whether I could wait for your call. If you had chosen to follow Song Bo’s old path, I would truly have been disappointed in you,” Hong Haifeng said with a sigh.
Lu Hao’s heart lurched, and his palms broke out in a cold sweat. So every move he had made had been under Hong Haifeng’s watchful eye.
He could hardly imagine what might have happened if he had not called Hong Haifeng that night. He very likely would have lost his trust.
“Let’s do as you suggested. First thing tomorrow morning, come with me to inspect the chemical plant. As for the other matter, instruct Tang Chunyan to handle it,” Hong Haifeng told him.
“Thank you, Township Head Hong.” Lu Hao finally relaxed somewhat and spoke sincerely.
“You’re quite the schemer, aren’t you? Still, you’re a man who understands right from wrong. At last, Fangshui Township has received a cadre who actually intends to accomplish something for the people. Waiting for your call was worth it.”
Amid Hong Haifeng’s teasing laughter and mock scolding, the two ended the call.
Lu Hao immediately called Tang Chunyan and went straight to the point.
“Chunyan, contact the rural credit cooperative tonight. First thing tomorrow morning, go there and withdraw all the money from the poverty-alleviation account. Then, based on the list of eligible poor households, notify them to come and collect the money tomorrow morning.”
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