Qi Tongwei: Can I be young again?

If he remembered correctly, Qi Tongwei had told him that the county government was not like the Ministry of Public Security, and that he should always be vigilant and pay attention to everyone.

If you really pay attention, does it become eavesdropping on the leader's conversation?

He's pretended to be a good person.

That would make me look petty.

Pshaw, what a load of rubbish!

"Ahem." Qi Tongwei didn't knock, but coughed twice and pushed open the office door of the county party secretary. "Secretary Dakang, you wanted to see me?"

"Sit down." Li Dakang put down the report in his hand and glanced at Qi Tongwei. "It's like this, the government wants to requisition a piece of land, which happens to be the vegetable garden of your Chunxi Village's former Party Secretary. The land is only about a hundred square meters and has been abandoned for a long time. The government's compensation price is 800 yuan, but that old man is asking for 5000 yuan. I couldn't reach an agreement with him. Since you're from the same village, I thought you might be able to talk to him."

“Okay, I know that old Party Secretary, I can handle this, but what about the purpose of the land requisition?”

"The purpose..." Li Dakang clicked his tongue and said softly, "It's like this, two days ago Zhao Lichun's family ancestral grave was struck by lightning, which is considered unlucky, so we wanted to move it to a different place."

"So you're interested in the old Party Secretary's vegetable garden?"

"Ah."

"But didn't you just say it was government land?" Qi Tongwei said unhappily. "Secretary Dakang, are you getting senile? Was Secretary Zhao's grave relocation also government land?"

Chapter Sixty: Is this how you repay my favor?

"When did I say it was government land?" Li Dakang immediately changed his tune.

"you said so?"

“I didn’t say that.” Li Dakang shook his head like a rattle-drum. “From beginning to end, I only said I needed the land, I never said it was for government use. Don’t wrong me! Besides, this is for Secretary Zhao. If it’s done well, do you think you won’t get a share of the benefits?”

Qi Tongwei understood that Li Dakang was not only good at shifting blame, but also adept at playing dumb.

They immediately reneged on what they had just said.

“Secretary Dakang, you said it yourself, this is to relocate Secretary Zhao’s grave, so the compensation can’t be calculated according to the government’s land expropriation standards! Don’t even mention 5000, the old Party Secretary wanted 10,000, you have to give it, or we’ll move to another place.”

“That’s not how it works.” Li Dakang stood up, looking troubled. “It’s precisely because it’s not government land that I have to pay out of my own pocket. You know our salaries are limited. Where am I supposed to get 5000 yuan? How about this… you help me get it done for 800 yuan, and I’ll consider it a favor I owe you, okay?”

"You don't even have 5000 yuan?" Qi Tongwei raised an eyebrow. "Even if you don't, your wife Ouyang Qing definitely does. Can't you just ask her?"

These words seemed to have hit a nerve with Li Dakang.

Suddenly, his expression changed.

“Qi Tongwei, I only asked you to do this because I consider you one of my own. If you don’t want to go, then forget it. I’ll find someone else.”

"Look at you, getting anxious again. I didn't say I wasn't going."

"Then go!" Li Dakang seemed very anxious. "Secretary Zhao is going to relocate the grave in two days. If I can't handle that old man, I'll definitely get criticized."

Tired of it? Said Qi turned around and stood up to account for ⑨⑷ ⑧ ⑶ 樲７⑧ 0澪

"Okay, I promise to talk to the old Party Secretary, but I can't guarantee it will work out, so don't have too high expectations."

"Then I'll leave it to you, County Magistrate Qi!"

Li Dakang changes his attitude so quickly; if you don't agree to help him, he'll call Qi Tongwei!

He agreed and immediately changed his address to County Magistrate Qi.

Just like a chameleon.

Of course, Qi Tongwei also had his own considerations. If he used someone's vegetable garden as a burial plot, the price would probably keep going up and down, and eventually it wouldn't even be less than five thousand...

after an hour.

Qi Tongwei drove his car, carrying a fruit basket, to the old Party Secretary's house.

This old Party Secretary also had the surname Qi, and was considered a relative of Qi Tongwei. It was because of this relationship that Li Dakang asked him to come and negotiate the price.

"Old Party Secretary, are you still in good health?"

"You are... Tong Wei!"

Upon seeing Qi Tongwei, the old Party Secretary immediately became excited.

Well, Qi Tongwei is the only high-achieving student in the village, and he was favored by the old Party Secretary. In the old Party Secretary's eyes, Qi Tongwei is the face of the village.

They invited Qi Tongwei into the house, and the old Party Secretary personally brewed tea and brought out some snacks.

Qi Tongwei also ate this kind of snack when he was a child.

Very sweet.

"Old Party Secretary, don't bother. I just came to see you and will be leaving soon."

"Why are you leaving? Stay for dinner!" The old Party Secretary was very hospitable. "Of all the kids in the village, I had high hopes for you. Now that you've driven your car back, it proves I had good judgment. By the way... are you still working in the anti-drug squad?"

"No, thank you." Qi Tongwei shook his head. "I'm working at the county government now."

"County government? What do they do?"

"Deputy County Head!" Qi Tongwei said somewhat embarrassedly, "I just took office and haven't had time to tell my family yet."

"Wow!" The old Party Secretary slapped his thigh. "Tongwei has become a high-ranking official! That's amazing, absolutely amazing! Even the county magistrate came to visit me at home. This old man is truly flattered."

“Old Party Secretary, please don’t say that. You’ve raised me. Besides, I didn’t have any money in my first year of college. It was you who organized the banquet to help me raise the tuition fees. I haven’t forgotten that.”

“My child,” the old Party Secretary said, his fingers trembling, “you have come a long way. I’ve been a Party member for decades. Seeing you is like seeing myself when I was young. But… you are more successful than me.”

"Old Party Secretary, you're joking." Qi Tongwei got down to business. "By the way, has anyone come to requisition your vegetable garden recently?"

"Yes, there is. It seems to be about government land use, offering 800 yuan in compensation, and asking me to transfer the land to them."

"You agree?"

"No!" the old Party Secretary recalled, "I asked him why he was requisitioning the land, but he didn't say. He just asked me to sign and give him money! I originally wanted to agree, but later I heard that a Taoist priest had been to my vegetable garden and said that the feng shui there was good. I suspected that there was treasure in there, so I asked for an exorbitant amount of 5000 yuan! Now I think I probably asked for too much and scared the other party away!"

Are there any treasures in that vegetable garden?

"What treasure is there?" The old Party Secretary laughed at himself. "That was just a wasteland to begin with. After the Taoist priest left, I took some people to dig it up. It was all stinking mud underneath, nothing at all. I should have just sold it for 800 yuan; it wouldn't have been a loss. Now I can't even find anyone to sell it to."

Hearing this, Qi Tongwei finally understood.

800 yuan is indeed not a low price, and the old Party Secretary was willing to sell it. However, he was delayed by the Taoist priest invited by Zhao Lichun, who thought there was some treasure inside.

It was all a misunderstanding.

To Qi Tongwei's surprise, Zhao Lichun, such a high-ranking official, actually believed in feng shui.

Thinking about it carefully, I guess he was traumatized after his ancestral grave was struck by lightning.

That's not a feng shui issue.

Don't they ever consider whether they've done too many unethical things?

"Old Party Secretary, are you still planning to sell that land?"

"Of course I want to sell. I'm already eighty years old, and I can't even till that land anymore. It would be best if someone bought it, and the price is negotiable."

"What's your target price?"

"Forget about 800, I'll sell it for 500 if someone offers me that. It's just sitting idle anyway, might as well make some money."

“500 is too low.” Qi Tongwei thought for a moment. “Old Party Secretary, I have a colleague who wants to relocate his family’s grave and needs a piece of land. If possible, I can buy that land for him for 3000 yuan. Is that alright with you?”

"3000 is too much. If it were your colleague, 300 would be enough as a token."

“Old Party Secretary, don’t refuse. This land will be used as a cemetery from now on, so it’s only right to give you a little more.”

“Tongwei, look at what you’re saying. Once the land is sold, it’s no longer mine. Whether it’s a burial plot or not has nothing to do with me. It really doesn’t cost that much money. 300 is enough.”

“Old Party Secretary, I said 3000, so it is 3000. Besides, I don’t have to pay for it. If you sell it cheaper, I’ll get angry.”

And so, the land that could have been bought for 300 yuan became 3000 yuan after Qi Tongwei's bargaining.

Li Dakang, the sucker, should at least say thank you.

"Tongwei, thank you!" Li Dakang breathed a sigh of relief. "It wasn't easy to get the old man to agree, was it?"

"Of course it wasn't easy. I had to say nice things and buy fruit. My lips were practically worn out from talking so much, and I only managed to get 2000 yuan off. It was so difficult."

"You've worked hard, you've worked hard." Li Dakang poured a cup of tea. "I'll repay the favor I owe you today the day after tomorrow."

"Give it back to me the day after tomorrow? What do you mean?"

"Tongwei, we're all on the same side, don't say I didn't think of you when I had something good to do." Li Dakang lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Secretary Zhao is the most filial person. When we move the grave the day after tomorrow, you come with me. When the atmosphere is right, just cry as hard as you can. Maybe you can cry your way into Secretary Zhao's heart, and then your meteoric rise to power will be just around the corner."

"Is this how you repay the favor you owe me?"

Qi Tongwei is in an emotional state.

Crying at a grave?

Damn it, he was reborn and he still cried!

Does he really think he's still the same Director Qi from back then?

Pooh!

“Secretary Dakang, I don’t need you to repay the favor. The land purchase cost 3000, which I advanced first. Now, pay me back the money, and we’ll be even.”

(Wow, I received so many submissions yesterday, I'm very grateful, so here's the third update for today!)