Handong: Sha Li wants political achievements? I'll shut down the entire province.

"boom--"

The heavy, black kraft paper bag landed solidly on the dark red rosewood table.

It emitted a dull thud that made one's heart clench.

The blinding, cold white light from the roof shone straight down.

Li Dakang's vision was a little unfocused at this moment.

I could only stare blankly as the paper bag fell and kicked up a few wisps of dust, which spun around in the halo of light.

His throat felt as dry as if it were stuffed with coarse sand.

His Adam's apple involuntarily jerked upwards.

He swallowed a mouthful of saliva that tasted of rust and blood.

His outstretched hands were trembling so badly they were barely recognizable.

My palms were soaked with sweat from the cold rain, and my ten fingers were stiff and numb.

He hunched over, trying to pry open the white cotton string wrapped around the seal of the paper bag.

The rope was tied very tightly.

The skin on his thumb was completely white and wrinkled from being soaked in rainwater.

I tried to grab it the first time, but my finger slipped and I couldn't hook it.

Long fingernails scraped against rough kraft paper, producing a ripping sound that made your back teeth ache.

"Master Yan... Master Yan..."

Li Dakang's chapped lips trembled, and his upper and lower teeth made a soft, clattering sound.

"What...what's in here...?"

He tried a second time.

With a sudden flick of his wrist, he nearly knocked the entire bag off onto the thick wool carpet.

On the single sofa next to him, Zhou Yuan was curled up eating a chicken cutlet.

Chewing a piece of meat with cartilage made a loud crunching sound, with crumbs falling to the ground.

"Hey, Secretary Li, is your hand in the late stages of Parkinson's? Do you need me to lend you a cleaver to chop it up?"

Zhou Yuan's crude sneer, carrying the pungent smell of cumin and chili powder, drifted over.

Li Dakang didn't even have the strength to open his mouth and refute.

My stomach was still churning with acid.

the third time.

He bit his tongue hard.

He managed to steady his wrist thanks to the sudden, sharp pain.

Finally, we managed to untangle that damned cotton rope.

His hands were trembling as he pulled it out.

Inside was a thick stack of bound A4 papers, heavy with weight.

The paper was freshly printed and still had a pungent smell of industrial ink and bleach.

The paper edges are quite sharp.

As it was pulled out, the edge slid across the pad of his index finger.

It left a white mark.

Li Dakang only glanced at the bold, large characters on the top cover.

The black pupils instantly shrank to the size of pinpoints.

The kneecaps of both legs suddenly buckled.

My back slammed hard against the metal edge of the desk, causing a sharp pain.

"The 'Exclusive Concession Agreement for Public Infrastructure in Handong Province'?"

When Li Dakang read it aloud, his voice cracked, sounding like a leaky, broken bellows.

He suddenly raised his head.

Those bloodshot eyes bulged out, and the corners of their eyes twitched.

"President Yan! What...what do you mean by this? Didn't we agree on a loan yesterday?!"

Yan Qingfeng didn't even look at him properly.

The pure gold windproof lighter in his hand popped open with a "click".

The orange flame leaped up, licking the thick tip of the Cohiba cigar.

The slight crackling sound of tobacco leaves being scorched by the high temperature.

It was especially clear in this deathly silent and cold room.

He took a deep breath.

The smoke was a bluish-gray hue, carrying a high concentration of nicotine and a rich woody aroma.

It was slowly exhaled from Yan Qingfeng's lips.

The smoke hit Li Dakang's pale, muddy old face directly.

The choking caused Li Dakang to cough violently.

It felt like there was a fire burning inside my lungs; I coughed so hard I bent over, and tears and snot streamed down my face.

"A loan?" Yan Qingfeng flicked the ash from his cigarette with his index finger.

His voice was cold to the bone, without the slightest hint of emotion.

"Secretary Li has been immersed in the system for too long; his brain must be full of swill."

Yan Qingfeng tapped his knuckles twice on the table, producing two crisp "knock knock" sounds.

"How are you going to repay my 300 billion in principal and interest with your leaky, dilapidated government treasury?"

Li Dakang coughed so hard he kept wiping away tears.

He gripped the document tightly with both hands, squeezing the smooth paper into a bunch of creases.

"I...I can use land in Jingzhou as collateral! Whichever plot you fancy, I'll approve it today!"

He was so anxious he was practically drooling, "That high-tech zone in the south of the city, and..."

"I told you, I don't want that pile of junk."

Yan Qingfeng's gaze lowered, exuding a domineering and condescending air.

"I want the water supply pipelines, power grids, and gas supply center for the entire Handong province."

His slender fingers casually drew a circle in the air.

"And also all the bus routes and subway dispatch networks in the province."

"You must hand over control and the final pricing power for these items today."

Li Dakang's head exploded with a "buzz".

The purplish-blue bruise on my temple was throbbing with excruciating pain.

"Five...fifty years?"

He trembled as he turned to the second page, staring at the glaring number on the terms and conditions.

"Yan Qingfeng! You've gone mad! This is the lifeline of the people!"

Li Dakang completely broke down, his voice becoming shrill and piercing.

"You control all the water and electricity? What then is the provincial party committee? What right does the municipal party committee have to care about anything?!"

"They're a bunch of useless cowards who only know how to hold bullshit seminars and stamp documents."

Yan Qingfeng didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Your work efficiency is too low. You can drag things out for three years just to fix a broken road."

He held the cigar between his fingers and flicked off a small pinch of silver ash.

"I will take over these underlying operating systems; the artificial intelligence of the Cloud Holographic System will take over everything."

A cold, emotionless smile appeared on Yan Qingfeng's lips.

"Fully automated scheduling, intelligent billing in seconds. From now on, who dares to disobey the rules of Lingxiao?"

Yan Qingfeng pressed his thumb down, making a slow, extinguishing motion.

"I can cut off his water pipes and turn off his main power switch in a fraction of a second."

"I can make sure he can't even get a sip of tap water in this city, and he can't even open a bus door with his swipe."

Zhou Yuan spat the chewed chicken bones into the trash can.

He grabbed a tissue and hastily wiped the grease from his mouth.

"Did you understand, Secretary Li? You think you can sell your few pieces of dilapidated land for a high price?"

Zhou Yuan rolled his eyes dramatically. "Master Yan has driven housing prices down to rock bottom. The little land you guys own isn't even good enough to wipe your ass with!"

Li Dakang felt a chill run down his spine.

It felt like thousands upon thousands of barbed needles were densely piercing down the top of the head.

The sour, yellow liquid in my stomach churned violently.

My hands trembled violently and uncontrollably.

Too much force was applied to the nail.

"Sizzle—"

He tore a large, jagged tear in the edge of the more than one hundred-page contract.

He finally understood what Yan Qingfeng was trying to do.

This is not about charging interest at all.

This is going to tie the necks of 50 million people in Handong Province to the alloy collar of the Lingxiao Consortium!

If the water, electricity, and gas are cut off...

The official facade is nothing but a fart!

"Sign it."

Yan Qingfeng picked up the chilled whiskey on the table.

The bottom of the cup left a long trail of water on the wooden table, making a sizzling sound.

"After signing your name, get the Municipal Committee's stamp."

Yan Qingfeng took a sip of the strong liquor, and the ice cubes clinked against the glass.

"Three hundred billion in cash was deposited directly into your Finance Department's nearly depleted account within half an hour."

"Countdown: 30 minutes."

Li Dakang felt a chilling coldness in his crotch.

The dampness from the frozen muddy water I had just waded through hit my forehead.

His heart was pounded so hard his ribs were almost broken, and even his breath smelled of blood.

He staggered backward.

My soaked heels got stuck on the edge of the heavy carpet.

He swayed and almost fell on his butt.

He barely managed to keep his balance by gripping the edge of the mahogany table tightly with his right hand, his fingernails scratching white marks on the wood.

He clutched the torn "contract of servitude" as if it were a red-hot branding iron.

His face was contorted with despair.

"I...I can't sign..."

Li Dakang's tongue was tied, and his voice trembled like a broken leaf in the cold wind as he retreated towards the door.

"Master Yan... this matter is far too serious, I really can't make the decision! I need to go back and report to Secretary Sha!"