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Yang Chen followed Tan Mucai to Deputy Mayor Kuang's house. On the way, Tan Mucai stopped at a roadside shop to buy a pack of cigarettes. Yang Chen glanced at the pack of cigarettes that cost over a hundred yuan and asked, "Director Tan, if we are bringing such cheap cigarettes, we might as well go empty-handed."
Deputy Mayor Kuang would probably think they were deliberately insulting him; who gives a gift worth just over a hundred yuan to a Deputy Mayor?
"The cigarettes aren't for Mayor Kuang; they're for the security guard at the gate. Mayor Kuang's house is in a villa area, and if we go empty-handed, we won't even get through the front gate," Tan Mucai explained.
"Those houses must not be cheap, right?" Yang Chen casually remarked.
Tan Mucai quickly replied, "You can't say things like that; people might think you're implying that Mayor Kuang is corrupt."
"As far as I know, Mayor Kuang's wife is quite impressive; she runs a shopping mall in the urban area and is a strong woman," Yang Chen said.
"I was just asking casually, no other meaning intended."
"Be careful; trouble can come from your words."
The two hailed a cab and arrived at Tiansheng Lake Villa District. Tan Mucai signaled for Yang Chen to wait nearby while he went to the security booth in front of the villa. He called the guard aside, chatted for a bit, and secretly handed over the cigarettes he had bought earlier.
When Yang Chen saw Tan Mucai wave him over, he walked up. The security guard sized up Yang Chen and reminded him, "Make sure you don't cause any trouble once you're inside; don't offend the residents."
"Everyone living here is wealthy and powerful; we can't afford to offend them. If something goes wrong, I could lose my job," Yang Chen replied.
"Don't worry; I didn't cause any trouble last time I was here, and I won't this time either."
The security guard opened the side gate and let them in. Since it was Tan Mucai's second visit, he quickly led Yang Chen to Kong Zhaohua's house, pointing to a three-story villa ahead. "That's Mayor Kuang's house, but he probably isn't home; I don't know when he'll be back."
"Alright, I'll wait here until he returns. Director Tan, you can head back to Hualin now."
Yang Chen waited outside the villa for an entire afternoon without seeing Kong Zhaohua return. He hadn't eaten all day and hadn't even had a sip of water; his stomach was growling. He didn't dare leave to buy food because if Kong Zhaohua returned while he was gone, all his waiting would be in vain.
He waited until nearly nine o'clock in the evening when a car pulled up in front of the villa. Although Yang Chen had never seen Kong Zhaohua in person, he recognized him immediately from photos as the person he had been waiting for.
"Mayor Kuang!" Yang Chen hurriedly stepped forward to block Kong Zhaohua.
Kong Zhaohua was startled by the sudden appearance of Yang Chen and asked with an unhappy expression, "Who are you? Why are you at my doorstep?"
"Mayor Kuang, I am Yang Chen, the director of the government office of Hualin County. I've been waiting outside your house since noon, and finally, I've been able to see you!"
Upon hearing that Yang Chen was from Hualin, Kong Zhaohua became even more displeased and sternly said, "Do all the officials from Hualin like to block people's doorways? Is everyone so lacking in manners?"
Not long ago, Tan Mucai waiting at his doorstep had already made Kong Zhaohua very angry, and now another government office director had come.
"I'm sorry, Mayor Kuang. I truly had no other way to meet you, so I could only wait here, but I absolutely did not disturb your family; I have been waiting from a distance," Yang Chen sincerely apologized.
However, Kong Zhaohua continued to reprimand him: "Just because there’s no way doesn’t mean you can disregard rules and block my doorway?"
"No wonder there was such a huge bribery scandal in Hualin before; it’s because you don’t follow rules. If the officials from Hualin continue to act on their own whims, problems will arise sooner or later!"
"You are right, Mayor Kuang. Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. I promise there won't be a next time, but since I'm here now, can we just have a few words before I leave?"
"Make it quick; I need to go back to help my child with homework," Kong Zhaohua urged impatiently.
Yang Chen nodded and said, "Mayor Kuang, I came to talk to you about the contract for the mountain forests outside Minsheng Village. We only want to contract part of the forests for breeding purposes, and..."
Kong Zhaohua interrupted Yang Chen, "Why is it still about contracting the mountain forests? I've made it very clear with your county's forestry bureau chief that the forests are not open for contracting."
"Not just for you in Hualin; no one in Anping District should think about contracting the mountain forests."
Yang Chen gritted his teeth and said, "Mayor Kuang, we are still suffering from the consequences of reckless logging and over-extraction. But we can't let past lessons prevent us from moving forward, can we? We..."
Kong Zhaohua's expression darkened. "What do you mean by that? Are you saying I'm conservative in my work and don't know how to adapt? Are you lecturing me?"
"No, that's not what I meant," Yang Chen quickly waved his hands in explanation. "Mayor Kuang, I just believe that the mountain forests in Anping District are a gift from nature to us. We should utilize them to create better living conditions for the people in Anping District."
"Enough! This is not something you need to worry about," Kong Zhaohua interrupted Yang Chen again.
"Our urban area also has annual logging quotas; the money from logging will be used for the people of Anping District. You don’t need to trouble yourself as a county director."
"I’m going back now. Remember not to block my doorway again; otherwise, I will personally call Secretary Wang and ask him how he instructs and restrains his subordinates," Kong Zhaohua said before turning and walking towards his villa.
"Mayor Kuang..."
"If you disturb me again, I'll call security or the police. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."
Seeing Kong Zhaohua's firm attitude, Yang Chen could only step aside and watch as Kong Zhaohua entered the villa.
Yang Chen sighed as he left and randomly found a hotel to stay in. Just as he lay down, Tai Man's phone call came through asking, "How is it going over there?"
"I met with Mayor Kuang, and he was very firm. It seems he has made up his mind not to grant us the forest contract."
"If you can't get the approval from the Forestry Bureau, just wait to be fired."
Yang Chen said with a playful smile, "The leader is definitely just joking with me. How could you bear to let me go?"
"To be honest, I wouldn't want to, but I am a man of my word. Even if it pains me, I would have to fire you."
Hearing Tai Man's tone, which didn't sound like a joke, Yang Chen replied, "Leader, are you serious? If you lose, I wonder if you'll still be a man of your word. That night I was drunk and didn't fully enjoy it; this time I will savor it properly."
"Yang Chen, you rascal!" Tai Man felt a mix of shyness and annoyance as he hung up the phone.
Yang Chen tossed the phone aside and lay back on the bed triumphantly, saying, "You still don't believe I can handle you!"
But after the moment of triumph, Yang Chen's brow furrowed again. The path with Kong Zhaohua was blocked; what should he do next?
He had to secure the project of contracting the forest to raise Minhua Chickens. His eagerness to obtain this project stemmed from personal motives; he wanted to ensure that the fellow villagers in Minhua Village, who had watched him grow up, could live good lives.
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