Marry a female star at a bargain price

Mashan County.

Lin Xiao obtained Dong Jianhui's address from Ge Tao, the deputy mayor.

He drove there directly, calling Lao Dong several times along the way, but no one answered.

Lin Xiao was even worried that Lao Dong might do something foolish.

After all, everyone cares about their reputation. Civil servants are known as the most prestigious profession in the universe. It was only out of necessity for him to take on a part-time job as a ride-hailing driver because of his family's financial difficulties. Now, he has become a national trending topic because of a sudden car accident.

Now he's become the most humiliated person in the entire universe, so it's normal for him to be feeling down for a moment.

In this day and age, money worship has become the most prevalent ideology. If Dong Jianhui had any creative ideas, he could have seized this opportunity to start a live stream, build up his fame, and then quit his job to become an internet celebrity, making a fortune.

He drove for ride-hailing services before just for the money, right? Now that the money's in, it's flowing in like water!
Based on Lin Xiao's understanding of Lao Dong, he would never have thought of or been able to do this.

I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Lin Xiao arrived at the residential area where Dong Jianhui lived.

This is a very old-fashioned house. The four-story building has a public corridor along its exterior, where clothes from various families and tattered red underwear worn by older women are hung out to dry, creating a strong sense of everyday life.

He found Old Dong's house by the house number and knocked on the door.

About half a minute later, the door opened, and a boy who was about the same age as Lin Yu pushed it open.

"Who are you looking for?" the young man asked.

"Is this Dong Jianhui's house?" Lin Xiao asked.

Upon hearing the question about Dong Jianhui, the young man's eyes narrowed instantly, revealing a strong sense of vigilance.

Lin Xiao then confirmed that this was indeed Dong Jianhui's house.

"You're Old Dong's son, named Lele, right?" Lin Xiao asked again.

Old Dong rarely talks about family matters, but he talks about his son getting into a prestigious university almost every day, making it his proudest achievement in life.

It is true that most people spend the majority of their lives living for their children.

Dong Lele's wariness lessened considerably when she heard the visitor call her by her name.

"You are?" he asked.

"Mayor of Starlight Town, my name is Lin Xiao. Is your father home?"

Dong Lele gasped.

He then realized why the person looked so familiar—he had seen him online.

Actually, Dong Lele isn't someone who likes to go online.

Upon entering university, he had many things to do: studying, preparing for postgraduate entrance exams, internships, and sports. His daily schedule was packed, leaving him no time to pay attention to gossip online, and he genuinely wasn't interested in it.

But since a great musician became the town mayor at my dad's workplace, he'll definitely have to pay attention to it.

However, there are bound to be some differences between the photos and videos online and the real person. Lin Xiao was standing in a backlit spot, so Dong Lele only felt that he was familiar, but did not recognize him immediately.

Now, upon hearing him introduce himself, Lele suddenly realized what was happening and became so flustered that she didn't know how to respond.

At this moment, Dong Jianhui came out of the house carrying a rice bowl: "Who is it...the town mayor?"

Old Dong stood frozen at the door.

Lin Xiao looked at him; he was wearing an apron, his face was covered in flour, and his expression was calm. Lin Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

Old Dong's demeanor clearly shows that he is completely immersed in the happiness of family reunion and has not been affected by the online storm at all!
It seems I was overthinking things!

"Mayor, what brings you here? Please come in, please come in!"

Dong Jianhui quickly ushered Lin Xiao inside.

Lin Xiao walked in and looked around the house. His first impression was that it was small and messy.

The apartment was only about 30 square meters in size, with one bedroom and one living room. The original living room had been partitioned off to create a small bedroom, making the living room very cramped. It also contained a refrigerator, shoe rack, washing machine, folding dining table, and various other miscellaneous items. The remaining space was only enough for two people to stand in, so when Lin Xiao came in, even three grown men couldn't fit together.

Lin Xiao couldn't even bring himself to praise the house as "cozy." He suddenly understood why Lao Dong, a deputy section chief, had to drive for a ride-hailing service to supplement his family's income.

The economic situation is indeed dire.

Dong Jianhui noticed Lin Xiao's discomfort, scratched his head awkwardly, quickly unfolded a folding chair for Lin Xiao to sit on, and then turned sideways with his butt sticking out, reaching for the teapot in the corner in a very strange posture to pour tea for Lin Xiao.

"Old Dong, stop busy..."

Lin Xiao hadn't finished speaking.

A weak female voice came from inside the room: "Jianhui, who's here..."

Upon hearing this, a hint of panic and embarrassment flashed across the faces of both father and son.

Lin Xiao subconsciously suspected that the father and son had done something illegal, otherwise why were they so nervous?

I haven't figured it out yet.

Dong Jianhui, standing to the side, glanced at his son and quickly regained his composure, revealing a carefree and calm smile.

"Mayor, my wife is inside...may she say hello to you too?"

As Dong Jianhui spoke, he gestured for Lin Xiao to enter the room.

Lin Xiao already sensed something was wrong, but he still followed her in. In the small master bedroom, a thin middle-aged woman was lying on the bed, only her head could move.

Although thin and listless, her face was clean and her short, gray hair was neatly combed.

Lin Xiao immediately understood.

A small house, a paralyzed wife, a son in college... Old Dong carries too much on his shoulders.

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled.

"Ah Fang, this is our town mayor. You've seen him on TV before, and now he's here in person... Look, isn't he handsome!" Old Dong introduced.

Lying on the bed, Li Fang was both surprised and embarrassed: "Oh dear, Mayor Lin is here... I... I'm so sorry... Lele, why don't you pour Mayor Lin some tea..."

Dong Lele, who was standing at the door, agreed and hurried off.

Lin Xiao didn't stand on ceremony this time. He sat down on the chair by the bed and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I should have come to see you a long time ago, but I have too much work to do. So this time, I took advantage of the holiday to come over, buy you some things, and also visit our prestigious college student!"

Li Fang was initially puzzled, but when the topic turned to her son, a bright light appeared on her sunken cheeks and dry eyes.

Li Fang said gratefully, "I'm so sorry to have troubled the town mayor to make this trip... When I saw you suddenly come over, I thought something had happened to my husband, Mr. Dong, at work..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao knew that Li Fang was unaware that Lao Dong had become a trending topic.

He slapped his thigh suddenly: "How could that be! Even if he has problems at work, he has to resolve them at his workplace. How could I possibly bring them home? Sister-in-law, you're really overthinking this. I won't dare to come here again..."

Li Fang was relieved and apologized and expressed her gratitude, chatting for a long time.

Lin Xiao took his leave.

Dong Jianhui saw him out, and after opening the door, he thought for a moment and then called his son Dong Lele to come downstairs and see him off as well.

downstairs.

"Mayor... thank you so much just now..." Old Dong said, holding Lin Xiao's hand with emotion.

Lin Xiao patted his hand with a smile.

Previously, he only thought Dong Jianhui was a dedicated and down-to-earth good cadre, but now he sincerely feels that Lao Dong is a real man.

"Sister-in-law, what...what caused this?" He thought for a moment and then asked.

"Car accident."

Old Dong said calmly, "It's been seven or eight years. My wife was my college classmate, from out of town. That year, I was on duty on New Year's Eve, and she took our son to visit her parents. They had been traveling for a day and a night, and they were almost home when she was hit by a car on the road..."

When talking about the past, Dong Jianhui's tone was very calm, but Dong Lele behind him had tears in her eyes.

Dong Lele continued, "I remember it was already getting dark when my mother was holding my hand and walking on the road. The car was initially heading straight for me, and my mother was blinded by the headlights. She immediately lunged forward to shield me with her body, but in the end, she herself..."

The young man was on the verge of tears as he spoke, his face filled with remorse.

Lin Xiao nodded; he could already guess what would happen next.

On a country road at night, the car that caused the accident had most likely fled.

Li Fang, a woman with a child, couldn't remember the license plate after the accident, and the perpetrator was nowhere to be found. She could only suffer in silence.

Lin Xiao felt sorry for her, but also thought the woman was very respectable.

He had no intention of reopening old wounds; he just wanted to ask something useful: "Is there any chance your sister-in-law can stand up again? I've heard that many people who are paralyzed in bed can regain their physical functions and stand up again after professional treatment and serious rehabilitation!"

Dong Jianhui shook his head and said, "I've looked into that before... it's unlikely!"

He didn't elaborate.

Lin Xiao frowned: "The possibility is not high, which means it is possible? And even if you can't stand up, with professional treatment and care, muscle atrophy can be delayed to the greatest extent possible, and your body can be recuperated at the same time, right?"

Upon hearing this, Lao Dong did not deny it.

Xiao Dong's eyes lit up immediately: "Dad... is that so?"

Dong Jianhui lowered his head and remained silent.

Lin Xiao knew what the middle-aged man was hesitating about, and said seriously, "Old Dong, if it's about money, you can rest assured, I'll handle it."

Dong Jianhui was startled and quickly waved his hand. Lin Xiao pressed his hand down: "Let me finish! You know, I've made a lot of money writing songs and appearing on variety shows, but the cost of my sister-in-law's rehabilitation treatment is nothing to me."

"Of course, I'm not a saint, and I can't possibly intervene in every suffering in the world. That's impossible! But if I see it, I have to intervene, whether it's at work or among friends!"

Dong Jianhui was still apprehensive, his lips trembling as he stammered, unable to utter a word.

Dong Lele, standing behind him, exclaimed excitedly, "Mayor Lin... if you can really help my mother stand up again, I... I... I'll pay you back after I graduate, however much you have to pay!"

Lin Xiao grinned.

This young man has far more courage and drive than his father.

Lin Xiao wouldn't take the money, but there was no need to reject the young man's determination and perseverance outright.

"Okay, then consider this money a loan to you!"

Lin Xiao patted Dong Lele on the shoulder and laughed, "My mother-in-law used to be the director of the subdistrict office in Ninghai. She knows all the medical and rehabilitation institutions. I'll call her in a bit and ask her to help me make some contact information. Don't worry, your sister-in-law will definitely receive the best care and treatment. You two can relax a bit, go to work and go to school as usual, without any worries!"

These words made Dong Jianhui realize that the young man wasn't just saying things for show, but was serious.

Old Dong already had a bad throat, and now he was so excited that he coughed repeatedly, his face turning red from holding it in.

After a long pause, he said in a flustered voice, "Mayor... what can I say? Cough cough, I've already caused you trouble because of my part-time job... Never mind, you've done me such a big favor now, so I have nothing to worry about. I'll accept whatever punishment the organization gives me, even if they fire me, cough cough, I absolutely won't have any feelings about it..."

Lin Xiao frowned as he listened.

Does this middle-aged man think he came here today with the intention of using both kindness and force?

First, spend money to curry favor, then make him obey the organization's arrangements. Under no circumstances should he argue or cause trouble, so that this public opinion incident can be resolved quickly.
Lin Xiao thought about it and suddenly realized—it really was a great idea!

If he had sided with the county leaders, the matter would have been resolved satisfactorily, sacrificing Dong Jianhui to bring peace to the entire Mashan County and even the entire Nanzhou Province.

But... Lin Xiao insisted on going his own way.

"No, who told you the organization was going to punish you?"

Lin Xiao chuckled. "Fire him? Old Dong, do you have paranoia or something?"

Dong Jianhui looked bewildered: "Mayor, you don't need to comfort me... My matter has caused such a huge uproar online, tarnishing the reputation of the entire Nanzhou Province, especially putting you in a lot of public disrepute. Whether from the perspective of restoring the government's credibility or from the perspective of quickly calming the online public opinion, punishing me is the best solution. Besides, I did make mistakes, so being punished one by one or being dismissed wouldn't be unfair..."

Lin Xiao frowned and said, "What wrong have you done?! It's not a violation for civil servants to work outside of working hours; there are supporting documents for that. As for hitting someone, that's a civil dispute. Besides, you didn't flee the scene of the accident, you didn't fight or cause trouble, and you actively apologized and resolved the situation throughout. Even if the King of Heaven himself came, he couldn't find a single fault on your part!"

Dong Jianhui was even more bewildered.

"Mayor, so... I really won't be punished?"

"Need not!"

"So, what brings you here today...?"

"I came to see you, to ask about the specifics, and also because I was worried you might do something foolish!" Lin Xiao said.

Old Dong scratched his head awkwardly and chuckled, "No, I'm not that fragile... After my wife's car accident, cough cough, nothing can break me anymore..."

Lin Xiao nodded with satisfaction: "That's more like it!"

He glanced at Dong Lele beside him and smiled, "Alright, the holiday isn't over yet. Just rest at home for the next few days. Don't worry about the trending topics online, I'll handle it!"

Lin Xiao waved and left.

Dong Jianhui hesitated for a moment, then caught up with him, stammering, "Mayor... I know this matter has put you in a difficult position... I don't really care myself, I'd accept any punishment, but if the organization asks me to clarify or apologize... I'm willing to risk my reputation, but my son is at school... I'm afraid his classmates will gossip about him..."

Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow, understanding.

He wanted to say that, based on his observation of Dong Lele, this child was definitely not the kind of person who disliked her parents, and it wouldn't be like this.

But he swallowed the words back.

The son feels sorry for his parents, and the parents feel sorry for their son too; it's all out of good intentions.

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "Don't worry, this matter has nothing to do with you from now on. Leave everything else to me!"

Dong Jianhui knew his request was excessive. Hearing the mayor's words, he shook his head in shame, his face flushed, and he almost knelt down.

Lin Xiao didn't want to embarrass the father and son, so he quickly waved his hand and drove away.

He drove home, parked downstairs, but didn't go upstairs.

Sitting in the car, he carefully reviewed the whole incident and thought about solutions.

After thinking for a while, my father-in-law, Han Haijun, called back.

Before he could even ask.

Han Haijun said directly, "I know you want to ask about the incident where your deputy mayor hit someone. Now that this matter has blown up so much, even I can't decide how to handle it. The province has now set up an investigation team to take full charge of the investigation and follow-up handling of this matter."

Lin Xiao was surprised: "The specifications have been raised so high?"

Han Haijun said helplessly, "You think this is the main issue? It's not Dong Jianhui, it's you. You're a big internet celebrity, the face of Nanzhou Province's cultural and tourism promotion. Since you're involved, the province naturally has to investigate and respond to netizens' concerns."

Lin Xiao's face immediately darkened.

The higher the level of importance this matter falls under, the more difficult it becomes to handle.

Because the higher you go, the more concerns you have. Sacrificing a few small fry in order to salvage the online image of Nanzhou Province is the most time-saving and labor-saving solution that can be predicted.

Lin Xiao got a headache just thinking about it.

Although he has a certain amount of influence in the province, after all, he is the provincial cultural and tourism ambassador, he is also responsible for Dong Jianhui's affairs as his direct superior, and should therefore avoid any appearance of impropriety.

They can't even clear their own name, yet they still have to persuade Lao Dong, having just promised him not to come out and apologize or clarify.

This makes things even more difficult.

After hanging up with his father-in-law, Lin Xiao felt a headache coming on; being a town mayor was really tough.

It was getting dark outside.

Lin Xiao was about to go home for dinner when Chen Jiajia called.

Lin Xiao was somewhat surprised.

This girl rarely calls him, so this sudden call made him subconsciously guess that something had happened to his wife.

He quickly answered the call.

"Hey, Jiajia."

"Brother-in-law, are you home?" Jiajia asked.

"Yes, what's up? Is something the matter, Xixi?"

"it's okay no problem!"

Jiajia said in a relaxed tone, "Sister Xi is fine, don't worry. It's me who needs to talk to you!"

Lin Xiao frowned.

"What do you want from me?"

"right……"

Chen Jiajia hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, you're not an outsider, so I'll just say it directly. Today is the 5th, and in three days it will be your and Sister Xi's second anniversary of getting your marriage certificate. Do you remember?"

Lin Xiao suddenly realized.

Upon checking, it turned out to be true; I had completely forgotten about it.

"Are you here to remind me to prepare a gift for my wife?" he asked with a smile.

Consider it a reminder!

Chen Jiajia said, "However, it's none of my business as an outsider when it comes to your marriage. I'm calling you because Sister Xi has recently taken on several endorsements, and she happens to be attending an offline event for a domestic cosmetics brand in Shenzhen on the 8th. The day you two got your marriage certificate was officially announced online, so everyone knows that the 8th is your anniversary."

"Now that Sister Xi has officially made her comeback, if you don't show up at the event, all sorts of nasty rumors will definitely come out, saying things like your relationship is in trouble... Brother-in-law, you know what I mean, right?"

Lin Xiao laughed: "I understand, I understand. So you want me to go to Shenzhen that day too, to support the brand with your sister Xi, and to show off our love in public, right?"

Chen Jiajia laughed and said, "No need for that. It would seem too deliberate. Besides, the brand only paid Sister Xi for the endorsement fee. Why should the two of you go and endorse her? Your fame is no less than Sister Xi's! They're dreaming!"

"Then you want to..."

"It's simple. Just show up in Shenzhen, and I'll have someone take photos of you at the airport. Then, we'll release them from a candid, online perspective. Once netizens see them, they'll naturally piece together the timeline and figure out that you two were both in Shenzhen on that day. They'll then assume you were celebrating your anniversary. Those haters who want to spread rumors about your marital problems won't be able to stir up any trouble. That photo and the IP address will be the evidence!"

Jiajia spoke in a shrewd and calculating tone.

Lin Xiao was amazed by what he heard.

Goodness, that's incredible! It's like they predicted the haters' predictions perfectly. Amazing!

Lin Xiao was once again utterly astonished by Chen Jiajia's talent and ability in the agent industry.

This girl is born to be a manager!
"Brother-in-law, can you come?" Jiajia asked.

"Um……"

Although Lin Xiao praised Chen Jiajia's talent, he hesitated because it was the last day of the holiday on the 8th, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to come back to work the next day.

But a moment later, he had a flash of inspiration and came up with a way to resolve the current public relations crisis facing the deputy mayor.

Lin Xiao's eyes lit up immediately, and he suddenly understood.

"Don't worry, I'll be there on time!" (End of Chapter)