The God of Wealth starts with doing whatever you want

On the day of the investigation, Jiang County was shrouded in a thin fog in the early morning.

At the entrance of the county government compound, a red carpet stretched from the steps all the way to the roadside, with neat rows of green plants and flowers lining both sides.

Before eight o'clock in the morning, all staff members were already in place, and a tense and solemn atmosphere filled the air.

Zheng Yi stood in front of the building, his dark suit perfectly pressed.

He glanced at his watch, then looked out at the street in the distance—where traffic control was in place and police cars were flashing red and blue lights.

"Director Zheng, the site has been inspected."

Liu Wei hurried over and said in a low voice, "There are three layers of security at the construction site. All personnel entering must have a certificate. Drone patrols have been started."

Where is Secretary Zhou?

"Making final preparations in the conference room."

Liu Wei paused for a moment, then replied, "Secretary Zhang's motorcade is expected to arrive at 8:30."

Zheng Yi nodded, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings.

In the parking lot not far away, several black cars were parked quietly.

One of the car windows was half-lowered, revealing Ning Qian's delicate profile.

She was wearing a light gray business suit today and was looking down at the tablet in her hand.

In the car next to her, Yang Jianguo was resting with his eyes closed.

However, his slightly trembling eyelids betrayed his inner turmoil.

At 8:25 a.m., the convoy entered the county government compound on time.

When Zhang Heping got out of the car, he had his usual gentle smile on his face.

He first shook hands with Zhou Mingyuan, who came to greet him, and then turned to Yang Jianguo and Ning Qian.

"Director Yang, General Manager Ning, thank you for your hard work."

When Zhang Heping spoke, his gaze lingered on Yang Jianguo's face for half a second.

In just half a second, Yang Jianguo felt a chill run down his back.

"Secretary Zhang, you've worked hard."

He quickly stepped forward to shake hands, his smile somewhat stiff.

After a simple welcoming ceremony, everyone entered the conference room.

According to the procedure, Jiang County will first report on the progress of the Beicheng project, and then conduct an on-site inspection of the construction site.

Zhou Mingyuan stood in front of the projection screen, his voice steady and powerful: "...Since the start of construction, the Beicheng project has completed 37 percent of the total investment. The main structure of the first phase of the commercial complex has been capped and is expected to be put into use in June next year."

Once completed, the project is expected to create 12,000 jobs and contribute over 500 million yuan in taxes annually…

Yang Jianguo sat to Zhang Heping's right, seemingly listening attentively to the report, but his fingers were repeatedly rubbing the edge of his phone under the table.

His gaze kept drifting towards Zhu Jingheng, who was sitting opposite him.

The young person in charge of the Yuntian Real Estate project was sitting upright and looking calm.

But Yang Jianguo knew in his heart that this seemingly ordinary young man had the entire Yuntian Group behind him.

Halfway through the report, Zhang Heping suddenly asked, "I heard there was a safety accident at the construction site recently, and a tower crane collapsed?"

The meeting room fell silent instantly.

Zhou Mingyuan's expression remained unchanged: "Yes, Secretary Zhang, a tower crane tilting accident did indeed occur last week."

An investigation has preliminarily determined that the instability of the foundation was caused by aging equipment.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities; only three workers sustained minor injuries and have all been discharged from the hospital.

"Aging equipment?"

Zhang Heping frowned slightly and asked in return, "How could the equipment for the new project be outdated?"

That's a tricky question.

Zhu Jingheng stood up at this moment: "Secretary Zhang, we are responsible for this matter."

The tower crane was a temporary piece of equipment transported from another construction site, and its service life is indeed quite long.

Following the accident, we have replaced all equipment with new equipment and established a more stringent equipment inspection system.

As he spoke, he turned to the projection screen, pulled up several photos, and explained, "These are our newly installed tower cranes, all equipped with intelligent monitoring systems. Any abnormalities will trigger an alarm in real time."

In addition, we have hired a third-party safety supervision agency to conduct a comprehensive inspection once a week.

Zhang Heping nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

But Yang Jianguo's cold sweat had already soaked through the lining of his shirt.

He knows Zhang Heping too well.

This city official appears mild-mannered, but is actually quite shrewd.

If he only touches on something briefly, it often means that he already has more information.

The question about the tower crane, while ostensibly about the equipment, was actually a veiled criticism.

I know there was an accident at the construction site, and I know someone is sabotaging it.

At 10:00 a.m., the convoy headed towards the North City project construction site.

At the entrance to the construction site, a huge project planning map stands in a prominent position.

Ning Qian personally delivered the presentation, explaining everything from the project concept to the construction progress in a clear and detailed manner, with comprehensive data.

Zhu Jingheng added.

"Secretary Zhang, please take a look. This is a reserved plot of land for the planned chip industrial park."

Ning Qian pointed to a piece of leveled land in the distance and said, "According to the plan, if the Beicheng project progresses smoothly, Yuntian Capital will start construction of its second chip industrial park next year, with a total investment of approximately 8 billion yuan, mainly focusing on automotive chips and industrial control chips..."

"Didn't General Manager Xu come today?" Zhang Heping suddenly asked.

Ning Qian smiled and said, "President Xu said he has important business to attend to today and really can't get away."

However, he asked me to convey that he warmly welcomes Secretary Zhang to come and guide our work, and that he will personally invite you to the ribbon-cutting ceremony when the industrial park is launched.

Zhang Heping laughed too: "This kid is getting more and more arrogant."

What seemed like a joke was interpreted by those present as having an unusual meaning.

Zhang Heping refers to Xu Yun as "this kid," which reveals the affection of an elder for a younger person.

Yang Jianguo stood at the edge of the crowd, feeling his legs go weak.

He quietly stepped back a few paces, took out his phone, and quickly sent a text message to Zhao Hu.

"Something's not right. Stop now and wait for my message."

The message indicates that the message was sent successfully, but there has been no reply.

Yang Jianguo frowned and dialed Zhao Hu's number again.

"Hello, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."

Shutting down?

Yang Jianguo's heart skipped a beat.

Zhao Hu's phone is never turned off; this is their agreement that Zhao Hu must answer any call he makes.

Unless... something bad happens.

"Director Yang, what are you looking at?"

Ning Qian walked up to him without him noticing and asked softly.

Yang Jianguo quickly put away his phone and forced a smile, saying, "It's nothing, just checking the weather. It's a bit foggy today."

Ning Qian followed his gaze and looked into the distance, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

"Yes, the fog is thick, so some things are hard to see. But once the sun comes out and the fog clears, you'll be able to see things clearly again."

Yang Jianguo understood the hidden meaning in those words.

But he could only pretend to be confused: "What President Ning says is true."

This woman has only emerged in the last year or two; I heard she used to be just a sales clerk.

However, the man standing behind her is not to be underestimated.

It's important to know that the renovation of Jiangcheng's old city area and the development of the Jiangzhong Peninsula in the south of the city are both key projects of the city, and she is in charge of them all.

The government didn't contribute a single penny to these two projects; they were all funded and constructed entirely by Yuntian Real Estate itself, with a total scale exceeding 500 billion yuan.

With that kind of influence, the entire city should treat her like a god of wealth.

The site visit lasted for two hours.

Zhang Heping examined everything very carefully, asking about almost every aspect, from construction quality to worker treatment, from safety measures to environmental protection requirements.

At noon, everyone returned to the county government guesthouse for lunch.

Lunch was arranged in the Chinese restaurant on the second floor of the guesthouse, in a large private room that could accommodate twenty people.

As is customary, this type of working lunch does not involve alcohol, and the dishes are relatively simple.

During the meal, Zhang Heping and Zhou Mingyuan chatted about the development plan of Jiang County, and the atmosphere seemed relaxed.

But Yang Jianguo had no appetite.

His phone remained quietly in his pocket; Zhao Hu never returned the call.

This is not normal.

After the meal, Zhang Heping suggested taking a one-hour rest before continuing his research on the development of private enterprises in the afternoon.

Yang Jianguo returned to his room, locked the door, and dialed Zhao Hu's number again.

Still turning it off.

He dialed another number.

That was a phone call from one of Zhao Hu's underlings.

After ringing seven or eight times, the call was answered.

"Hello?" The other person's voice was very low.

"Where's Tiger? I'm looking for him," Yang Jianguo said urgently.

"Director Yang?"

The other person clearly recognized his voice, and their tone became tense as they replied, "Brother Tiger... Brother Tiger didn't come to the company today."

"Where is he?"

"I...I don't know. Last night, Tiger said he had something important to do today and told us not to contact him."

Something important?

Yang Jianguo's heart sank.

Zhao Hu's so-called "important matters" often meant things that couldn't be brought to light.

And then, at times like these, contact is lost...

He recalled Zhang Heping's seemingly casual yet sharp questions at the construction site today, Zhu Jingheng's composed responses, and Ning Qian's meaningful words.

A terrible thought suddenly popped into my head.

Could this be a setup?

From the crane accident to Zhang Heping's sudden decision to investigate Jiang County, and then to his specific request for him and Ning Qian to accompany him...

All of this is like a meticulously designed chain.

And he is gradually walking into the center of the chain.

At this moment, in the basement of a detached villa in the northern suburbs of Jiang County.

Zhao Hu knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold cement floor.

A fruit knife was stuck in his left shoulder, and blood dripped down the blade, forming a small pool of dark red blood on the ground.

Lin Wanzhou stood beside him, looking at him like he was a dead dog.

In front of him, Xu Yun sat on an ordinary wooden chair, toying with another fruit knife of the same type in his right hand.

The blade reflected a cold light under the dim lamplight.

"This is the second time I've stabbed someone with a knife myself."

Xu Yun's voice was calm, so calm it was chilling, and he laughed, "Consider it your honor."

You should know that the last person to receive this treatment, if their father sneezed, your powerful backer would be dead a hundred times over.

Zhao Hu trembled all over, not from pain, but from fear.

Half an hour ago, he was drinking tea in the villa, waiting for his subordinates to report on the situation at the construction site.

Then the doorbell rang, and assuming it was his men returning, he opened the door without any suspicion.

There were two people standing outside the door.

We don't know each other yet.

But the next second, he was kicked away by one of the men.

When Zhao Hu fell to the ground, his first reaction was to reach for his weapon, but just as his hand touched his lower back, Lin Wanzhou had already moved.

It happened so fast that he didn't even see the movement clearly before he was pinned to the ground, the pistol was removed from his lower back, and a knife was plunged into his shoulder.

The whole process took less than ten seconds.

"Mr. Xu...it's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding."

Despite the pain, Zhao Hu pleaded in a trembling voice, "I don't know where I offended you. Please tell me, I will definitely change and make amends..."

"Misunderstand?"

Xu Yun laughed and said, "Sending people to sabotage the construction site is a misunderstanding?"
The person who sent people to follow me is mistaken?
Was it also a misunderstanding to threaten Zhu Jingheng with Lin Xi and the child?

With each sentence he spoke, Xu Yun twirled the knife in his hand.

Zhao Hu's face turned pale.

He did all these things very discreetly.

In particular, the matter of threatening Zhu Jingheng was conveyed through an intermediary; he himself never appeared directly.

How could Xu Yun know?
Are you wondering how I knew?

Xu Yun seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "Your name is Zhao Hu, right? Zhao Hu, you've been in Jiang County for so many years, how come you still don't understand one thing?"

Some lines are off-limits; touching them will come at a price.

"It's Yang Jianguo!"

Zhao Hu suddenly shouted, "Yang Jianguo made me do it! He said that as long as I ruin the Beicheng project, he would help me get back the previous projects!"
"Mr. Xu, I'm just a gofer. The real mastermind is Yang Jianguo!" Xu Yun nodded: "I know that, you don't need to tell me."

Those four simple words shattered Zhao Hu's last hope.

"Then you..."

"But I'm here to see you today."

Xu Yun stood up, walked over to Zhao Hu, squatted down, and said, "Yang Jianguo will be dealt with, but you, I have to handle you personally."

Because you don't follow the rules of the underworld.

"What are the rules of the martial arts world?" Zhao Hu asked, bewildered.

"Wife and children."

Xu Yun's eyes suddenly turned cold as he said, "You shouldn't have used them to threaten Zhu Jingheng, and you shouldn't have let people wander around the school area."

Zhao Hu, do you know what I hate most?

Zhao Hu shook his head, his lips trembling as he couldn't speak.

"What I hate most is people preying on women and children."

Xu Yun said, enunciating each word clearly, "These are the rules, everyone in the underworld understands them, but you broke the rules."

"I was wrong! Mr. Xu, I really know I was wrong!"

Zhao Hu kowtowed, his forehead hitting the ground with a dull thud, and begged for mercy, "Please spare me this time, I will never touch your projects again, I will leave Jiang County and never come back!"

Xu Yun didn't say anything, but just watched him kowtow quietly.

After kowtowing more than a dozen times, Zhao Hu raised his head, his forehead already covered in bruises.

He looked at Xu Yun with pleading eyes.

"It's too late," Xu Yun uttered softly.

He stood up and gave Lin Wanzhou a wink.

Lin Wanzhou walked over, took a document out of her pocket, and threw it in front of Zhao Hu.

"This is your criminal record over the years."

Xu Yun said calmly, "Smuggling, extortion, intentional injury, illegal possession of firearms... that's enough to keep you in prison for twenty years."

Of course, if you don't cooperate, I'll have to have my brother perform a ritual to help you pass on to the afterlife.

"I'll cooperate! I'll definitely cooperate!"

Zhao Hu, as if grasping at a straw, asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"First, write down every detail of your dealings with Yang Jianguo, including the time, place, amount, and witnesses. Nothing should be omitted."

"I'll write! I'll write!"

"Second, hand over all the materials you have regarding Dingfeng Capital."

Zhao Hu was stunned: "How do you know about Dingfeng Capital...?"

"I know more than you think."

Xu Yun interrupted him and laughed, "Hand it over, or I'll turn you into a corpse right now. Choose one."

Without hesitation, Zhao Hu chose the former.

Lin Wanzhou brought over paper and pen, and Zhao Hu lay on the ground, using his still-movable right hand to begin writing.

With each word he wrote, a sharp pain shot through the wound on his left shoulder, but he dared not stop.

He knew this was his only chance.

The survey continued at 2 PM.

The destination this time is Jiang County Industrial Park, with a focus on inspecting several private enterprises.

According to the schedule, Yang Jianguo is required to speak at the symposium and talk about how the National Development and Reform Commission supports the development of the private economy.

But standing on the podium, Yang Jianguo found that he couldn't concentrate at all.

His phone remained silent, and Zhao Hu was still unreachable.

What made him even more uneasy was that there was an extra person in the afternoon's research team—Zheng Yi.

Originally, the director of the county supervisory commission was not required to accompany the investigation throughout the entire process, but Zhou Mingyuan specially arranged for Zheng Yi to accompany the team, on the grounds that it would be "to facilitate answering questions related to the project at any time".

The reason was far-fetched, but no one objected.

Yang Jianguo noticed that Zheng Yi's gaze fell on him at least three times throughout the afternoon.

His eyes were calm, eerily calm.

Halfway through the meeting, Zhang Heping suddenly asked, "Director Yang, I've heard that some companies have recently reported encountering 'glass doors' or 'revolving doors' during the project approval process."

As the director of the National Development and Reform Commission, what is your view on this issue?

The question is very pointed.

Yang Jianguo cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound steady: "Secretary Zhang, this problem does exist."

We have been pushing forward with the "streamlining administration, delegating power, and improving services" reform, simplifying approval procedures, but some deeper issues still require time to resolve…

"Tell me more about the deeper issues," Zhang Heping pressed.

"For example... some cadres have not yet changed their mindset, and there are still situations where it is difficult to get things done, faces are unpleasant, and things are difficult to get done."

Yang Jianguo carefully chose his words before replying, "Furthermore, there are some historical issues that involve the interests of multiple parties, making coordination very difficult..."

"Legacy issues?"

Zhang Heping said thoughtfully, "For example, Jiangcheng Construction Group?"

The air in the conference room froze instantly.

Yang Jianguo's face turned pale instantly.

Jiangcheng Construction Group, Zhao Kai's company, was the winning bidder for the Beicheng project three years ago, but later withdrew due to a broken capital chain.

Everyone present knew about this.

But why did Zhang Heping suddenly bring this up?
“I heard that Jiangcheng Construction Group has recently been active again, wanting to participate in the North City project again.”

Zhang Heping's gaze swept over everyone present, and he said, "Wouldn't this be considered a legacy issue?"

Zhou Mingyuan continued, "Secretary Zhang, Jiangcheng Construction Group did express its interest, but according to our assessment, the company currently does not have the capacity to undertake such a large-scale project."

Who conducted the assessment?

"The county development and reform commission took the lead in conducting a joint assessment with multiple departments."

Zhang Heping nodded and didn't continue the topic.

But Yang Jianguo was on the verge of collapse.

Zhang Heping knew about Jiangcheng Construction Group, knew about Zhao Kai, and knew about what happened three years ago...

Did he know about the relationship between Zhao Kai and Zhao Hu? Did he know about the relationship between Zhao Hu and himself?
These problems gnawed at Yang Jianguo's nerves like venomous snakes.

The survey concluded at 4 PM.

Zhang Heping delivered a brief concluding speech in the county party committee meeting room, affirming the work of Jiang County while also pointing out several areas for improvement.

After he finished speaking, he did not leave immediately, but instead called Zhou Mingyuan aside and whispered a few words to him.

Yang Jianguo watched from afar and saw Zhou Mingyuan nod with a serious expression, and then saw Zhang Heping pat Zhou Mingyuan on the shoulder.

Then, Zhang Heping walked towards him.

"Director Yang, you've worked hard today." Zhang Heping extended his hand.

Yang Jianguo quickly grasped it: "It's no trouble at all, it's my duty."

"After you return to the city, come to my office."

Zhang Heping's voice wasn't loud, but every word was crystal clear as he said, "There are some things I need to discuss with you privately."

"Okay, Secretary Zhang, I'll wait for your notification at any time."

Zhang Heping gave him a deep look, then turned and walked towards the convoy.

Watching Zhang Heping's car drive out of the county government compound, Yang Jianguo stood there, motionless for a long time.

Ning Qian walked over and said softly, "Director Yang, we should go back too."

"President Ning..." Yang Jianguo hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

"Let's talk on the way," Ning Qian smiled, but there was no warmth in that smile.

On the way back to Jiangzhou, Yang Jianguo and Ning Qian rode in the same car.

The driver was Ning Qian's man, and the soundproof windows were rolled up after he got in the car.

"Director Yang, are you looking for Zhao Hu?" Ning Qian asked directly.

Yang Jianguo was startled: "President Ning, you..."

"No need to deny it, I know everything."

Ning Qian leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and said, "But I suggest you stop looking, you won't find it."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that Zhao Hu has already fallen."

Ning Qian opened her eyes, looked at Yang Jianguo, and said calmly, "He should be somewhere writing materials right now, materials about you."

Yang Jianguo was struck dumb, frozen in place.

"Impossible... How could this be..."

Why is it impossible?

Ning Qian shook her head, her tone tinged with pity: "Yang Jianguo, from the moment you let someone touch the Beicheng project, you had already lost."

"I didn't! Those things were all Zhao Hu's own doing, it has nothing to do with me!" Yang Jianguo argued vehemently.

"Save these words for the disciplinary committee."

Yang Jianguo slumped in his chair, his face ashen.

Looking at the scenery rushing past the window, he suddenly recalled the scene many years ago when he had just become the section chief.

At that time, he was full of vigor and vowed to be an honest and upright official.

When did this change begin?

Perhaps it started with the first time I received a gift, perhaps with the first time I helped someone, perhaps with the first time I met Zhao Kai...

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

Now, karma has caught up with them.

At the same time, in the basement of that villa in Jiang County.

Zhao Hu has finished writing the last page of material.

A thick stack of papers recorded all his interactions with Yang Jianguo over the past three years.

Xu Yun took the materials and flipped through them page by page.

After reading it, he nodded: "You're quite honest."

"Mr. Xu, can you let me go now?" Zhao Hu pleaded.

"Walk?"

Xu Yun laughed, "Where are you going? To turn yourself in."

"Confess?"

"Hand over these materials to the Discipline Inspection Commission, confess all the problems, and strive for leniency."

Xu Yun stood up, casually plunged the fruit knife in her hand into his thigh, and said coldly, "This is your only way out, otherwise..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Zhao Hu understood.

Otherwise, the evidence of crimes in Xu Yun's possession would be enough to kill him in prison.

"I...I'll turn myself in."

Zhao Hu lowered his head, his voice hoarse.

Xu Yun nodded to Lin Wanzhou, who then stepped forward, removed the knife from Zhao Hu's shoulder, and led him outside.

They escorted him to turn himself in.

As they reached the door, Xu Yun suddenly spoke: "Zhao Hu."

Zhao Hu turned around.

Xu Yun said calmly, "If I find out you've messed with my people again, next time it won't just be your shoulder that gets poked."

Zhao Hu shivered and nodded repeatedly.

After the two left, Xu Yun stood alone in the basement, staring at the bloodstains on the ground, remaining silent for a long time.

My phone rang; it was Zheng Yi calling.

"Xu Yun, Secretary Zhang has already left. Yang Jianguo and Ning Qian have also returned to the city."

"Ah."

"Zhao Hu's side..."

"It's all taken care of."

Xu Yun said, "The materials will be delivered to you tomorrow. After that, it's up to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection."

"clear."

Zheng Yi paused for a moment and said, "I didn't expect that in the end, I would still have to do it myself."

"I can't help it, I'm just a kind-hearted person."

Xu Yun looked out the window at the darkening sky and said, "Tell the class monitor that everything is alright."

"Ah."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Yun walked out of the villa, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.

The smoke rose slowly in the twilight and eventually dissipated into the air, just like those people and things that cannot be seen in the light, which will eventually be dispelled by the sunlight.

However, this process requires time, patience, and waiting.

Waiting for those who are meant to fall to fall, one by one.

Xu Yun couldn't help but exclaim, "I've accidentally done another good deed!"

For Jiang County, getting rid of Zhao Hu was like getting rid of a great scourge.

For Jiangcheng, getting rid of Yang Jianguo was like removing a major cancer, a good deed done for the people. (End of Chapter)