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墨書 Inktalez
A week later, Wang Hongbin's secretary, Qi Shuming, received a thick envelope. Upon seeing the sender's address and name, he felt a surge of annoyance: How busy is the chief? What trouble is this kid stirring up?
However, Wang Hongbin had given specific instructions, and even if he had a thousand guts, he wouldn't dare to withhold this heavy envelope.
Though he had no authority to stop the mail, he was entitled to open it, review its contents, make a brief record, and write a summary (similar to how ancient officials processed documents sent from various regions). He would then use a paperclip to attach it and sort it by importance along with other documents to deliver to Wang Hongbin's desk.
As he cut open the seal of the brown paper envelope, a stack of photographs slid out. A cursory glance revealed shocking images, and upon seeing the densely packed pages of text that followed, even the seasoned Qi Shuming felt unsettled.
Among these written materials was not only the Jiang Qiuying incident but also details of other crimes committed by a gang led by Zhang Lingyun in the county town.
In the most bustling area of Annan Mall, every merchant renting a stall was required not only to pay rent and management fees to the mall but also an additional "special management fee" of 100 yuan each month to Zhang Lingyun and his associates. With nearly a thousand businesses in the entire mall building, Zhang Lingyun was illicitly pocketing nearly 100,000 yuan each month!
Initially, a few merchants refused to pay this fee. However, they soon discovered that every day there were local thugs who would come looking for trouble—claiming they bought counterfeit goods and demanding exorbitant compensation or creating disturbances right at their stalls, making it impossible for them to conduct business.
Some merchants called the police, who would respond quickly to take statements… but ultimately, nothing came of it.
In business, the bottom line is making money. With such disruptions daily, how could they continue? Thus, some merchants chose to yield.
Others insisted on standing their ground and faced open threats from the gang known as "Black Tower," warning them:
"Be careful your warehouse doesn’t catch fire!"
"Watch your step; you might get hit by a car!"
…
Eventually, the most defiant merchant, Zhou Dacheng, was struck on the head one night while walking home. After that incident, no merchant dared to say "no."
Later on, some merchants banded together to petition the county authorities against paying this fee. However, those leading the charge were informed that Annan Mall intended to terminate their contracts; they would no longer be allowed to do business there!
This move effectively crushed any thoughts of resistance among the merchants.
Behind this, there were the actions and pressures from Zhang Shusen, which made the business world dare not disobey.
In the Jiang Qiuying incident, it was bad enough that Zhang Shusen's son committed wrongdoing; he even dared to retaliate maliciously. Such behavior, knowing the law yet acting against it, is more detestable than ordinary lawbreaking!
Qi Shuming, usually a refined person, rarely let out a curse: "Bastard!"
He organized all the materials again, placed them back into an envelope, and set this envelope on top of a large stack of documents meant for Wang Hongbin. After leaving the secretary's office, he gently knocked twice on the door of Wang Hongbin's office and then pushed open the slightly ajar door to enter.
No matter how high one's position, they can still have the sentiments of an ordinary person. For instance, after working together for a long time, a secretary and their boss can become like teacher and student or even family, developing a deep mutual understanding.
Wang Hongbin had not been "promoted to regular status," and ranked low in the hierarchy of the courtyard. However, aside from his educational background being a drawback, he had extensive experience, worked diligently, and had an upright character. He was not afraid to speak or take action, earning respect not only from his subordinates but also from peers ranked above him, including the top leader and deputy.
He lifted his head from behind the desk where he had been reviewing documents. Peering over his reading glasses at the entering secretary, he remained silent, waiting for his report.
Qi Shuming placed a stack of documents on his desk. Next, he needed to explain which documents were urgent and what important appointments were scheduled for the day. This was essential for organizing and planning Wang Hongbin's workday—a task that required precision and was a necessary part of his role as a secretary every morning.
"The child from Jinan City’s Annan County Laogu Township sent you a letter!" Qi Shuming said as he set down the documents and stood in front of the desk.
"Uh!" Wang Hongbin responded with slight surprise, glancing up over his glasses at his secretary who had been with him for over two years.
As a secretary, especially while in work mode, every word and action should be serious and professional. At that moment, Qi Shuming's mention of what seemed like a casual matter caught Wang Hongbin off guard.
However, he trusted his secretary's professionalism and integrity.
Seeing that Wang Hongbin did not say anything further, Qi Shuming directly picked up the envelope from the top of the stack and handed it over with both hands: "This is it."
Wang Hongbin glanced through the pile of handwritten pages before flipping through some photographs one by one; his eyebrows involuntarily twitched.
After working together for so long, a secretary must understand their boss's preferences and habits; they even need to know what each gesture signifies. Qi Shuming realized that his "boss" was angry!
Three minutes later, Wang Hongbin looked up and said, "Xiao Qi, you can sit down first."
Qi Shuming was a bit surprised. Normally, not only was Wang Hongbin busy, but his role as secretary was also demanding. The two of them rarely sat down to discuss matters outside of their regular work exchanges.
"Have you looked at all this?" Wang Hongbin took off his reading glasses and rubbed his sore eyes.
Qi Shuming nodded. "I have."
"What are your thoughts? Any opinions?" Wang Hongbin set his glasses down and picked up his teacup for a sip.
Seeing Qi Shuming hesitating to speak, Wang Hongbin waved his hand. "Speak freely; it’s not like I’m asking you to make a decision. We’re just chatting."
Qi Shuming also took off his glasses and pulled out a lens cloth to clean them. "Boss, I’ll be straightforward. Putting everything else aside, regarding that middle school student named Jiang Qiuying, Zhang Lingyun needs to be dealt with. His father, the director, is simply unqualified for the position!"
"Not just unqualified as a director! Forget about being an official; he doesn’t even have basic moral standards!" Wang Hongbin slammed his cup down on the table with a thud. "Help me contact Xiao Zheng, Secretary Wang Shujie’s assistant over at the compound, to see when Wang Shujie is available... Never mind, I’ll contact Wang Shujie directly."
Qi Shuming knew that the only person named Wang in the compound was Wang Yining, who was in charge of government affairs.
As the workday was ending, Qi Shuming's phone rang. He picked it up and found it was Zheng Hao, Secretary Wang Shujie's assistant. Perhaps because it was close to quitting time, Xiao Zheng sounded less formal than usual. He was being somewhat mysterious and gossipy. "Hey bro, who’s your boss angry with? His voice was so loud at my boss's place today that it was frightening. He even called in Zhao Ting from the GA department and invited Deputy Secretary Zhao from the discipline committee?"
Qi Shuming realized that Zhang Shusen, the deputy director of GA in Annan County, was finished.
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