Without further ado, Lu Yiwei went to Pingkang City.
Pingkang City was one of the few historical and cultural cities in Xijiang Province. Its history could be traced back to the Stone Age. According to written records, it was known as Zhoukang in the Han Dynasty, Pingan County in the Tang Dynasty, and Pingkang Prefecture in the Qing Dynasty. After the establishment of the new China, it was renamed Pingkang District. There were many famous people in history, most of whom were military generals. Its strategic location determined that it was a place that would be fought for by military experts. Most of the cultural relics on the ground were destroyed, but countless treasures were dug out from the ground.
According to relevant experts, the reason why there were so many underground cultural relics in the city was that the soldiers who fought here died here, and their valuables were left in Pingkang City. Among them, there were many rare treasures left by the barbarians and other ethnic minorities, which made this small place famous for a while.
However, apart from cultural relics, there seemed to be no development. It was poor in resources, blocked in traffic, sparse in population, and cold in terrain. It was the most backward city in Xijiang Province.
Lu Yiwei had been here once on a business trip, but he didn't stay long and didn't have time to appreciate the appearance of this ancient city. This time, he was in no mood to appreciate it. He was eager to know the truth.
After entering Pingkang City, Lu Yiwei found the Pingkang Historical and Cultural Industrial Park effortlessly. A huge promotional poster was hung in an eye-catching position, with the words: "Build the most unique historical and cultural city in the northwest region."
The so-called industrial park was a very fashionable product. No one knew when, but all kinds of industrial parks had been launched in various places, and there was a great momentum of development. To put it bluntly, it was to take out a piece of land and encircle all kinds of enterprises to continue production, which was the same as keeping chickens in cages to lay eggs. The more fashionable ones were industrial parks, development zones, high-tech zones, cultural parks, science and technology parks, and so on. However, was it really useful?
According to relevant statistics, basically every county in Xijiang Province was encircling and building so-called industrial parks, among which development zones were the most prevalent. Regardless of the depth of the foundation, whether there were enterprises or not, the first thing to do was to encircle and build the development zones. After all, it was a huge project achievement. As for whether enterprises would settle in or not, it was another matter.
Some places built development zones, but there were no enterprises at all. What should they do? This was not a problem for the decision-makers. All the "enterprises" in the county that were related to enterprises were sent to the development zone to make up the numbers. Even the tofu shop, the tinsmith, the carpenter, and even the barber were lucky enough to become a "member" of the development zone. Was this an attempt to attract investment?
What was the purpose of the Cultural Park? It was mainly to gather publishing, sports, entertainment, education, scientific research, and other enterprises in first-tier cities to develop together and realize the sharing of information resources. However, it was really inexplicable to build a cultural park in a backward area. However, the naming culture showed that the city had more cultural and humane connotations.
Lu Yiwei had no time to care about this. He entered the huge industrial park and saw that all the projects were halted. Some of the factories had already been constructed, but the snow that had just fallen made it seem especially desolate and lonely.
There was no one in the courtyard. Lu Yiwei didn't know where to start, nor did he know who to ask. The more anxious he was, the more he couldn't find a clue.
He saw smoke rising from the small house in front of the door. There should be someone inside, so he decided to go up and ask.
Lu Yiwei lifted the curtain and walked in. He saw an old man sitting in front of the stove, listening to the radio with his eyes closed. Hearing someone come in, he slowly opened his eyes and then closed them again. He said, "What do you do?"
Lu Yiwei took out a cigarette and handed it over. He said with a smile, "Uncle, I want to understand the situation of this industrial park."
"Are you a reporter?" The old man still had his eyes closed.
"No, no, no, I'm not a reporter." Lu Yiwei quickly said, "I won't hide it from you. I'm a businessman."
The old man opened his eyes and glanced at him. "You don't look like a businessman. It's fine if you say you're a reporter. You should have reported about this place a long time ago."
Hearing the hidden meaning in the old man's words, he sat down and said, "Uncle, what's wrong with this place?"
The old man snorted and said, "What's wrong? You saw it too. The developer ran away halfway through the construction, leaving behind these dilapidated buildings. No one is interested in it anymore. In the past two years, the leaders of the city had been coming here very frequently. Basically, they would bring the media to the cameras every day to brag about whatever they wanted. But now, they couldn't even catch a glimpse of anyone. No one was willing to come here. Sigh, what a sin. "
"Can you tell me in detail?" Lu Yiwei asked curiously.
The old man lit the cigarette and asked, "Are you a reporter or not?"
Lu Yiwei did not know how to answer. He vaguely nodded and shook his head.
The old man said, "Comrade Reporter, I sincerely hope that you can expose this place. Back then, the province specially allocated 5 million to support our Pingkang City's construction of a cultural park. The city invested as much as 50 to 60 million, but the money went down the drain just like that. Really? Actually, that's not the case. In fact, a large portion of the money went into the pockets of some leaders. "
"Uncle, you don't dare to say such baseless words." Lu Yiwei carefully reminded him.
"Baseless?" The old man widened his eyes. "Go to the city and ask any commoner. See if anyone doesn't know. There's no need for the commoners to comment. Some labor contractors who couldn't get paid are already talking about it. It's said that more than half of the project's money was embezzled by them. "
He did not expect to get an unexpected harvest. But this was not important to him. He asked, "Which provincial leader is in charge of this project?"
"Provincial leader? I don't know. " The old man said, "But I have seen the leader of the Provincial Party Committee's Publicity Department come here a few times. I think the leader is called Fan something. I can't remember it clearly."
This was an important piece of information. It seemed that Fan Rongkui was involved in this project. But what puzzled him was why Pingkang City's leader was unscathed and only Lu Yiwei was arrested.
After chatting with the old man for a while, Lu Yiwei could not get any valuable information. He had to give up. Just as he left the house, he received a call from Zhang Zhiyuan.
Zhang Zhiyuan said that Pingkang City's Municipal Party Committee Secretary, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and a Deputy Mayor were arrested by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. Lu Yiwei could not react to this shocking news. He asked, "Secretary Zhang, does Minister Fan really have something to do with this project?"
"At this point, I think it should be confirmed." Zhang Zhiyuan said, "You don't have to investigate anymore. You must see Cai Runnian tonight. Right now, he is the only one who can save your father-in-law. "
"Okay!"
Lu Yiwei did not return to Jiangdong City. Instead, he went straight to his home in Dongzhou City. He rummaged through his drawers and found a golden Buddha statue, carefully wrapping it up.
This golden Buddha statue was an asset left behind by Xu Banxian's family. It was the only thing he kept when Hei Quan sold it. He had planned to keep it as a memento, but now it seemed that he had no choice but to use it to save Fan Rongkui.
Cai Runnian loved antiques. If he wanted to knock on the door, this thing would come in handy.
Although he had the golden Buddha statue, Lu Yiwei was still worried. He asked Li Haidong to transfer 100,000 yuan to Cai Runnian.
Finally, at night, Lu Yiwei mustered up the courage to call Cai Runnian. However, there was no answer.
He could not wait! Lu Yiwei decided to meet him. When he arrived at Jinxiu Mansion, he was stopped by the stubborn security guard. Fortunately, Lu Yiwei had a sweet mouth. Coupled with his previous relationship, he stuffed some practical things into the security guard's mouth. The security guard was dubious and let him in.
At the entrance of Cai Runnian's mansion, Lu Yiwei tiptoed and looked into the living room. He found Cai Runnian sitting on the sofa watching TV. He stood at the door and thought for a long time. Then he raised his head and pressed the doorbell.
After a while, the housekeeper opened the door. When she saw Lu Yiwei, she was stunned for a long time. He seemed familiar yet strange. She asked expressionlessly, "Who are you?"
Lu Yiwei smiled and said, "Auntie, don't you recognize me? I'm Lu Yiwei, Professor Cai's student. I've been here before. "
"Oh, Professor Cai is not here. Come back another day." She was about to close the door.
Lu Yiwei had already thrown caution to the wind. He quickly blocked the door with his hand. "Auntie, I have something urgent to discuss with Professor Cai. Please let me in."
"You're really something. I already told you that you're not here, but you still insist on barging in. I'll call security if you continue like this," the housekeeper said with a dark face.
Lu Yiwei knew that Cai Runnian was hiding from him. He stood at the door and shouted, "Professor Cai, I'm your student, Lu Yiwei. I really have something urgent to discuss with you. Please meet me."
"Hey, hey, hey!" The housekeeper pushed Lu Yiwei out. "You don't know how to appreciate kindness. Get out. Don't cause trouble here."
At this moment, Lu Yiwei made a shocking move. He knelt down in front of the door and begged, "Auntie, I know Professor Cai is at home. I'm looking for him for an urgent matter. Please."
"It's useless even if you kneel," the housekeeper said coldly. She picked up the phone and was about to call the security department.
At that moment, Cai Runnian's loud voice resounded, "Let him in."
The housekeeper put down the phone and made way for him. Lu Yiwei got up and did not bother to pat the dirt. He quickly bowed in gratitude. As the saying goes, a man's knees are gold. Other than his own parents, Lu Yiwei had never knelt before anyone else. But today, he was willing to kneel for Fan Rongkui. It showed how much courage he had.
After Lu Yiwei entered, Cai Runnian stood up from the sofa and waved his hand. "Follow me." He then walked into the study room and closed the door.
Cai Runnian looked Lu Yiwei up and down and asked bluntly, "Are you here because of Fan Rongkui?"
Seeing that Cai Runnian already knew, Lu Yiwei nodded. "Professor Cai, Fan Rongkui is my father-in-law. I can't just ignore him at this time."
Cai Runnian said coldly, "Yiwei, I can help you with other things, but I can't do anything about this. Please leave."
Seeing that Cai Runnian wanted him to leave, Lu Yiwei panicked. "Professor Cai, I really can't do anything. That's why I came to you. I hope you can help me."
"It's not that I don't want to help you, but this matter … sigh, it's a long story," Cai Runnian said helplessly.
Lu Yiwei took out the Golden Buddha statues. Cai Runnian's eyes lit up. He carefully examined it and could not help but exclaim, "Good stuff. This is really good stuff."
After a while, Cai Runnian realized that he was being inappropriate. He wrapped up the Golden Buddha statues and passed it to Lu Yiwei. "Yiwei, keep it. Don't give me that. I said that I really can't help you with this. "
Lu Yiwei put the Golden Buddha statues on the table and said, "Professor Cai, I didn't take this because I'm begging you. Actually, I wanted to give it to you a long time ago, but I couldn't find the right time. I got it from the countryside. I don't know how to appreciate it. It's a waste to leave it with me, so … "
Cai Runnian's greedy eyes kept glancing at the Golden Buddha statues. He shook his head and said, "I really can't. Take it away. I need to rest."
Lu Yiwei blocked the door and said, "Professor Cai, I used to be your favorite student. I hope you can help me on account of the current situation. I know it's difficult for you. Even if it's just teaching a student, it's fine. "
"Sigh! Why do you have to do this? " Cai Runnian returned to the table and stared at Lu Yiwei for a few seconds. "Let me ask you. Did Fan Rongkui offend Xu Shousong?"
"What?" Lu Yiwei widened his eyes in shock. "Impossible. They are good friends. How could he offend him?"
Cai Runnian seemed to know what happened. He said, "To tell you the truth, Xu Shousong was the one who told Secretary Huang about this. Not only does it involve Pingkang City's Cultural Industrial Park, but it also involves you. "
"Ah?" Lu Yiwei could not believe his ears. "Why would I be involved?"
"Did you buy a high-end house in Shengjing Gardens?"
Hearing this, Lu Yiwei panicked and lied, "No."
"No?" Cai Runnian's eyes widened. "You're still lying to me? They already have evidence against you. I'm guessing the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection will summon you for investigation tomorrow. "
"I really didn't!" Lu Yiwei said confidently. "It's true that I lived in Shengjing Gardens for a period of time. But that house belongs to my friend. I had no place to live when I just got married. Later, my father-in-law moved to the old house, so I returned it to him. "
"Really?" Cai Runnian asked doubtfully.
"Really." The reason why Lu Yiwei was so sure was that all the paperwork for the house had been purchased under Li Haidong's name. At that time, he kept an eye on it just in case. Now, it seemed that his decision was very wise.
"That's good. Since it has nothing to do with you, you're not afraid of investigation." Cai Runnian said. "But Fan Rongkui can't run away from this matter that involves Pingkang City's Cultural Industrial Park. You also know that Pingkang City has four leaders arrested today. Once this line is implicated, there's nothing we can do. We can only wait to be punished by the party's law. "
Lu Yiwei said. "Professor Cai, my father-in-law has always been an upright official. He always does things cautiously. He would never do such a stupid thing."
"It's not up to me whether he did it or not. Everything will be based on the investigation." Cai Runnian said. "Yiwei, I know you're anxious right now. But this matter has been registered with Secretary Huang. Who dares to cover up for you? I don't think anyone dares. So, I'm really powerless. Please think of another way. "
Lu Yiwei didn't give up and begged, "Professor Cai, I wouldn't have come looking for you if I had the slightest idea. So, you must help me. My wife is pregnant, and she has been crying since last night. I'm afraid that she can't take it and implicate the child. "
Cai Runnian looked at Lu Yiwei and felt his heart soften. After thinking for a long time, he said, "How about this? You go back and wait. I'll make the next step after I get the results of the investigation. If Fan Rongkui is innocent, I will advise Secretary Huang to let him go. But if he's guilty, I'm sorry, but you can find someone else. "
Lu Yiwei didn't know if Fan Rongkui was involved in this matter, so he couldn't make up his mind. However, since Cai Runnian had already put it this way, he couldn't make any more excessive requests.
Before leaving, Cai Runnian tried his best to get Lu Yiwei to bring the things back. However, Lu Yiwei ran out the door quickly.
After leaving Cai Runnian's house, Lu Yiwei did not go home. Instead, he went straight to Zhang Zhiyuan's house.
After listening to Lu Yiwei's story, Zhang Zhiyuan was shocked. "You're saying that Xu Shousong is the mastermind behind this? How is that possible? "
"I don't believe it either." Lu Yiwei said, "I heard from Chunfang that the two of them cut the queue together. Their families are very close, so how could they stab each other in the back?"
Zhang Zhiyuan pondered for a long time, then suddenly raised his head. "I think it's possible."
"Ah?"
Zhang Zhiyuan said, "Back then, Xu Shousong suggested to marry Fan Rongkui's daughter, Fan Chunfang, to his son, Xu Lei. Fan Rongkui agreed, but Fan Chunfang fell in love with you. Fan Rongkui loved his daughter, so he had no choice but to break the contract and let you and Fan Chunfang be together. I think this is the root of the problem. "
"Ah?" Lu Yiwei's jaw dropped in surprise. "How is that possible? Could it be that Xu Shousong bears a grudge because of this? He won't even let an old friend off? "
"Yes." Zhang Zhiyuan said, "Based on my understanding of Xu Shousong and what others have said, he is a narrow-minded person who will seek revenge for the smallest grievance. Anyone who offends him will not have a good ending. I heard that one Chinese New Year, when Xu Shousong was still a small section chief, a county leader paid him a visit out of goodwill. He gave him a bag of cabbage, three baskets of potatoes, and five catties of pork. In the 1980s, that was already considered good stuff. I don't know why, but Xu Shousong lived a meticulous life. He especially weighed the meat and found out that it was missing a catty. Because of such a small matter, he bore a grudge. Even after so many years, he still hasn't forgotten about it. Later on, he brought down that county leader. Because of this, outsiders gave him the nickname 'Missing a Catty'. "
"Oh my god!" Lu Yiwei exclaimed. "How did such a person get to where he is today?"
"It's true that this kind of ruthless and heartless person is suitable to be a disciplinary officer." Zhang Zhiyuan said, "He single-handedly handled many difficult cases in Xijiang Province. He has offended many people, but his official position has fallen to the ground. It doesn't affect his career at all."
Although this matter did not directly start with him, it was more or less related. Lu Yiwei felt very guilty. He said, "Secretary Zhang, what should I do now?"
Zhang Zhiyuan said, "Since this matter has been uncovered, it's impossible to cover it up. Unless Fan Rongkui is innocent, no one can save him. Is Professor Cai's attitude unclear? "
"Yes." Lu Yiwei shook his head and said, "What he said is similar to what you said. He didn't say anything definite."
"Sigh!" Zhang Zhiyuan said worriedly, "Yiwei, I hope you are mentally prepared. If nothing happens, everything will be fine. If something happens …" He had no idea what to do.
"Is there really no other way?" Lu Yiwei was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. "Secretary Zhang, why don't you contact Secretary Xu Caimao? He has a good relationship with my father-in-law. Ask him for help."
"Mentioning Xu Caimao makes me feel even more strange." Zhang Zhiyuan said, "Two days ago, Yang Tongyao brought the people in charge of the Department of Commerce, the Department of Construction, the Department of Land and Resources, and the Eastern City to the United States to inspect the golf course project. Xu Shousong just had to do this at this time. It shows that he had planned this long ago. I couldn't get through to Xu Caimao on the phone. Maybe he is playing somewhere.
"Besides, since he wants to mess with you, he must have solid evidence in advance. Without evidence, he won't act rashly. So …"
"Secretary Zhang, do you think we can talk to Tan Lao?" Lu Yiwei was desperate. He wanted to fight for anyone he could think of.
Zhang Zhiyuan shook his head and said, "Tan Lao is no longer involved in politics. Besides, Secretary Huang won't listen to him. Now, we can only wait. "
When they got home, Sun Chunyun was not back yet. Fan Chunfang was resting on the sofa with her big belly. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she was sobbing from time to time. Seeing his wife like this, Lu Yiwei was very distressed. He took a blanket from the bedroom and gently covered her.
As soon as the blanket was covered, Fan Chunfang wriggled and opened her eyes. When she saw Lu Yiwei, her tears burst out instantly. She threw herself into Lu Yiwei's arms and cried, "Yiwei, you are finally back. I was scared to be alone."
Lu Yiwei was depressed. He stroked Fan Chunfang's back and comforted her, "Chunfang, don't cry. The child in your belly is five or six months old. You won't be able to bear it if you continue like this. Have you eaten tonight? "
Fan Chunfang stopped crying. She bit her lips and shook her head.
"How can you not eat? I'll cook for you." With that said, she got up and went to the kitchen.
Entering the kitchen, Lu Yiwei was out of his wits. He was going to take a knife, but he picked up a rolling pin instead. He squatted on the ground and peeled potatoes. Unknowingly, one of the potatoes was gone.
Sun Chunyun was back.
Lu Yiwei threw the potatoes into the trash can and quickly walked out.
Sun Chunyun sat on the sofa in exhaustion. She suddenly looked a lot older. After sitting there in a daze for a while, she could not control the suppressed emotions in her heart. She slapped her thigh and burst into tears.
"Mom, don't be like this." Lu Yiwei went forward to comfort her. "Since it has happened, we should face it calmly. If you do this, Chunfang will cry again. "
Sun Chunyun wiped her tears and looked at the distressed Fan Chunfang. She said sorrowfully, "Daughter, your mother is useless. Today, I went out to beg people for help, but no one was willing to help us. They are all cruel and unscrupulous things."
Fan Chunfang acted out of character. She wiped her mother's tears and said, "Mom, let's not cry. What's the use of crying? It's fine if you can cry my dad back. We have to face the truth. Yiwei, accompany Mom. I'll go cook. "With that said, she slowly stood up with her hands on her waist.
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