Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

Li Xin was also very curious, but he didn't dare to ask Secretary Wang. He could only ask Yu Xue.

Yu Xue is Secretary Wang's niece, so she knows why Secretary Wang came to Shibalipu Village to serve as the village party secretary.

Sure enough, Yu Xue did know. She told Li Xin that twenty years ago, when Secretary Wang first started working, an opportunity to work in the provincial capital came down from above. At that time, with Secretary Wang's qualifications, this opportunity was almost a sure thing, but he was dragged into a bet by his colleague.

Yu Xue didn't know what the bet was about, but in any case, Wang's colleague got the quota to work in the province, while Wang himself took the initiative to go to work at the grassroots level and came to Shibalipu Village to become the village party secretary.

Because of this incident, Secretary Wang's family severed ties with him, except for Yu Xue's mother, who is also Secretary Wang's sister, who still secretly maintained contact with him.

Come to think of it, he turned down a golden opportunity right in front of him and instead came to this godforsaken place, Shibalipu Village. The only reason his parents didn't strangle him was because he was their biological son.

According to Yu Xue, Secretary Wang's classmate who got the quota to enter the province rose rapidly through the ranks and is now the top leader of the provincial capital, wielding immense power. During a family gathering, someone brought up this matter and dragged Secretary Wang out to give him a good scolding—they should have been relatives of the top leader of the provincial capital, enjoying wealth and honor, but now they are nothing. The contrast is so great that it's infuriating!

Li Xin didn't know what the bet was, but the fact that he gave up a chance to rise to prominence just because of a bet shows how stubborn Secretary Wang was.

"Of course I know Uncle Wang is stubborn, but I have a way."

Lai Sheng Lei gave Li Xin a confident smile.

Li Xin pressed for an answer, but Lai Sheng Lei kept shaking her head, keeping Li Xin in suspense: "Just wait and see tomorrow."

Although Li Xin was extremely anxious at this moment, since Lai Sheng Lei refused to speak, Li Xin could only endure it and wait until he understood.

The next morning, as soon as Li Xin woke up, he went to find Lai Shenglei, wanting to ask her how she persuaded Secretary Wang, but he couldn't find any trace of her. He only saw Mao Lixia preparing breakfast.

"Sister Xiaolei just went out, saying she'll be back soon."

Mao Lixia spoke to Li Xindao.

Li Xin was wondering where Lai Shenglei had gone when he suddenly sensed someone approaching, and there were two of them.

One of them was naturally Rui Kisaragi, and the other was... Michael!

Michael entered Li Xin's house, and Mao Lixia immediately stepped forward and said, "Uncle Michael, I've prepared breakfast. Would you like some?"

Michael smiled and said, "Thank you, Lisha."

The person in front of him was someone who shared a man with his daughter, but Michael didn't feel any ill will towards Maurice. After all, if she could be accepted by his daughter and liked by Li Xin, she must be a good girl, right?

Even if he doesn't trust others, he should trust the judgment of those two people, right?

Li Xin looked at Lai Shenglei and said to her, "Little Lei, is the method you mentioned Mr. Michael?"

Lai Shenglei smiled and said, "We are the younger generation, and we can't persuade Uncle Wang no matter what we do, so we can only trouble Dad to help us."

Good heavens, having his father-in-law persuade Secretary Wang to accept Li Xin's desire to enjoy the blessings of having two wives has given Li Xin a bit of a hard time, and he's feeling extremely embarrassed right now.

However, it was indeed more appropriate and had a better chance of success for Michael to persuade Secretary Wang than for them to do so. Li Xin could only say to Lai Sheng Lei, "Little Lei, thank you."

"This is a matter between the three of us, why are you thanking me?"

Lai Sheng Lei rolled her eyes at Li Xin, expressing her dissatisfaction with Li Xin's "thank you".

Lai Sheng Lei told Li Xin to stay at home, and then she took Michael to the village brigade.

Li Xin wanted to go with them, but he was afraid that Secretary Wang would get angry if he saw him, which would affect Michael's ability to persuade Secretary Wang. So he could only stay at home. The breakfast that Mao Lixia made was still delicious, but Li Xin could not taste it.

Li Xin didn't know how long he had been waiting; his heart was pounding with anxiety. Finally, Lai Sheng Lei returned to Li Xin's home, but she was all alone; Michael had not returned.

Just as Li Xin was about to ask Lai Shenglei about the result, Lai Shenglei smiled and said first, "Xin, Uncle Wang has already approved of our relationship."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I faced Li Xindao in my next life.

"Really?"

Although Li Xin knew that Lai Sheng Lei would never lie to him about something like this, he still couldn't help but ask because the matter was so unbelievable.

"Of course it's true."

Lai Shenglei smiled and said, "Dad and Uncle Wang had a very pleasant chat, and Uncle Wang has agreed not to interfere in our relationship anymore."

He didn't ask questions or offer support, but Li Xin understood that, given Secretary Wang's temperament, this was already a huge concession, and Li Xin couldn't say anything more.

"Uncle Michael and Secretary Wang had a very pleasant chat?"

Li Xin was somewhat surprised that Michael and Secretary Wang could have a good chat, but then he thought it was normal.

Although they are of different nationalities, both are learned individuals with lofty ideals and noble spirits, so it is perfectly normal for them to have a conversation.

"Yes, they had a great time chatting."

Lai Shenglei smiled and said, "Dad has already applied to Uncle Wang to join the Party."

Li Xin: "!?"

No, what exactly did those two talk about?

Chapter 644 You good-for-nothing!

In the village brigade, Secretary Wang and Michael were chatting happily, their cheerful smiles still lingering on their faces, when they saw Li Xin arrive, their expressions immediately darkening, causing Li Xin's heart to sink as well.

Could it be that Secretary Wang has changed his mind again?

Li Xin's heart began to pound, but then he saw Secretary Wang sigh and say, "Xin, promise me that if either of Xiao Lei or Li Xia wants to leave this relationship in the future, let them go. Don't force them."

Although the words didn't express agreement, they also didn't object, which relieved Li Xin. He quickly replied, "Secretary Wang, I promise!"

"Alright, you can go now. I want to talk to Mr. Michael a little longer."

Secretary Wang waved his hand, telling Li Xin to get lost—although under Michael's persuasion, Secretary Wang reluctantly accepted Li Xin's relationship with Lai Sheng Lei and Mao Lixia, he did not approve of it in essence, and was still somewhat angry at Li Xin.

Li Xin looked at Michael, who gave him a "I'll handle this" look. Li Xin felt relieved and left the village committee with peace of mind.

After leaving the village brigade, Li Xin sighed inwardly.

Mr. Michael is awesome!

Li Xin knew Secretary Wang's temperament all too well. For him to make such a compromise was already unprecedented. Li Xin couldn't think of any other word to describe how Mr. Michael could persuade Secretary Wang to this extent.

After Li Xin left, Secretary Wang recalled Li Xin's barely suppressed joy and became furious: "That kid, all those years of teaching him were for nothing!"

It's a shame that Li Xin, a child who grew up under the red flag, would pull such a stunt. It just goes to show how corrupting capitalism is. This kid has only been in Japan for two years and he's already turned out like this. What will become of him in the future?

Michael calmly smiled and said, "Mr. Wang, didn't I say that we should let the children handle their own affairs?"

"I... I was just worried that your little Lei would be wronged!"

Secretary Wang stammered.

Even though Michael is a Westerner with a more open mind, he couldn't very well tell Secretary Wang, "It's alright, it's alright. It's because your child is so capable and took such good care of my daughter that they don't mind this kind of relationship." Michael could only say tactfully, "Don't worry, my daughter isn't the type to compromise herself. She must have thought this through carefully before agreeing to this relationship."

“There’s a saying in the Central Plains: ‘Children and grandchildren have their own blessings.’ We parents shouldn’t interfere too much with our children’s choices. They are still young, and being young means that even if they make a mistake, they have the opportunity to correct it.”

“If we break them up now, they will be trapped in this relationship forever and unable to break free.”

"Let them stay together, and when they realize the mistake in the relationship, they will separate on their own."

"What if they don't realize it's a wrong relationship?"

Secretary Wang countered with a question.

"That means that this relationship may be wrong in the eyes of the world, but it is not wrong in their eyes. The world should be inclusive and allow relationships between men and women outside of monogamy to exist."

Michael said with a smile.

These words were reasonable and persuasive, and even though Secretary Wang knew that Michael was favoring those children, he couldn't find a way to refute them.

He was a rather traditional person. Since Li Xin had already had relationships with both of them, he had to take responsibility for Lai Sheng Lei and Mao Li Xia. It would be inappropriate to break up either of them. Therefore, he decided to leave everything to time and let time prove whether their relationship was right or wrong.

Secretary Wang sighed and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's talk about something else."

Having lived in Shibalipu Village for so many years, this was the first time he had met someone as knowledgeable and insightful as Michael. He felt as if they were old friends who had met too late. The fact that someone as stubborn as him could be persuaded was not only because Michael's words did make some sense, but also because he had a good impression of Michael and was willing to listen to him.

"Okay!"

Michael smiled.

Not only did Secretary Wang feel a sense of regret for not having met Michael sooner, but Michael also felt that Secretary Wang was exceptionally knowledgeable and upright, someone he could confide in. Even if it weren't for Li Xin's connection, he would have loved to talk to such a person for three days and three nights.

And so, the two began to talk without restraint, leaving behind all the troubles of the younger generation.

After leaving the village brigade, Li Xin finally felt completely at ease, and for a moment he felt a sense of freedom, like "fish can leap freely in the vast sea and birds can fly freely in the high sky."

Li Xin returned home wanting to announce the good news to Lai Sheng Lei and Mao Lixia, but found only Mao Lixia at home. Lai Sheng Lei was nowhere to be seen. After asking Mao Lixia, he learned that Lai Sheng Lei had just gone to see the village chief again.

Having no other choice, Li Xin went to the village chief's house again, but before leaving, he suddenly picked up Mao Lixia and kissed her, startling her.

Li Xin nibbled on Mao Lixia's lips for a long time, until Mao Lixia was almost breathless, before finally putting her down with satisfaction. He patted her head and told her to prepare more food for lunch, because the other people from the agency would be coming to visit at noon.

Mao Lixia blushed and ran shyly to the kitchen. Although she and Li Xin had "practiced" many times, it had always been at night in her own room. To suddenly do this in broad daylight made her extremely embarrassed.

Upon arriving at the village chief's house, Laisheng Lei was talking to the village chief.

"...After the factory is built, we expect to recruit more than 100 employees in the village, with a monthly salary tentatively set at 1,000..."

"How many?"

The village chief raised his voice.

Lai Shenglei quickly explained, "One thousand RMB, but don't worry, Uncle Lu, in addition to the salary, there are three insurances and one housing fund. At the end of the year, there will be a year-end bonus based on performance, which will be no less than three months' salary. Also, the annual salary increase is temporarily set at five percent. We'll talk about the rest after the factory is built... Of course, Uncle Lu, if you are not satisfied with the conditions, you can make suggestions, and I will make modifications!"

"Change what! With such great conditions, anyone who dares to voice an objection, I'll break their legs!"

The village chief said menacingly.

Given the situation in Shibalipu Village before, each household could only earn a thousand or so yuan a year at most. Even now that the road is open, and people can go out to work during the off-season, they can only earn a dozen or so yuan a day. If they work every day of the month, they can only earn four or five hundred yuan. How can that compare to the comfort of earning a thousand yuan a month near home?

If you're still not satisfied with these conditions, breaking your legs would be too lenient!

Li Xin stepped forward and asked Lai Shenglei and the village chief, "Village chief, Xiao Lei, what are you talking about?"

Lai Sheng Lei smiled and said, "Ah Xin, didn't I tell you before that when the president asked me to come to the Central Plains for vacation, I could also do some research on where to build a factory? I saw that Shibali Village has good natural conditions, so I asked the village chief if we could acquire land nearby to build a factory. Of course, we could also provide some jobs for the village."

Shibalipu Village has good natural conditions? How are these two phrases connected?

Li Xin was stunned for a moment.

You should know that Shibali Village is a notoriously poor place in the area, and it is extremely difficult for villagers to find wives. They mainly rely on "self-production and self-consumption" to find wives. Occasionally, they might marry a wife from outside the village, but she is likely to run away. For example, the village chief's wife couldn't stand the hard life in Shibali Village and ran away. If the village chief was like that, it goes without saying that it was even more difficult for others.

The reason why Shibalipu Village is so poor is not only because of its remote location, but also because it is frequently flooded. After the floods, the soil nutrients are severely depleted, the soil fertility is insufficient, and the grain grown is much worse than that grown in other places.

If it weren't for these "debuffs," with Secretary Wang's abilities, he would have led Shibalipu Village out of poverty and into prosperity long ago.

Lai Sheng Lei winked at Li Xin, who immediately realized what she meant and said repeatedly, "Oh, right, right, I remember now. I almost forgot that you came here with a mission, Xiao Lei. Speaking of which, the president is really going too far. We came here for a vacation, but he still assigned us a mission!"

The village chief was immediately displeased. He said, "Ah Xin, what are you saying? You're paid such a high salary, shouldn't you work harder?"

"Yes, yes, yes, the president gives me such a high salary, I will definitely work hard to repay the president."

Li Xin glanced at Lai Shenglei and decided to dedicate himself to the president tonight.

Lai Sheng Lei saw the hidden meaning in Li Xin's eyes and gave him a coquettish glare.

After coughing, Lai Shenglei asked the village chief, "Uncle Lu, do you mean you agree to let us build a dehydrated vegetable factory near the village?"

Li Xin only realized at this moment that Lai Sheng Lei was planning to set up a dehydrated vegetable factory near Shibali Village.

Among Laishenglei's assets, the dehydrated vegetable factory is definitely not top-tier. She does have a complete automobile production line, which could be moved over, but the question is whether Shibali Village can handle it.

In reality, even a dehydrated vegetable factory is a stretch for Shibalipu Village. After all, dehydrated vegetables are not just about growing vegetables; growing vegetables is only one part of the production process. There are many other steps that have nothing to do with growing vegetables and require additional training.

"Yes, yes, of course I agree!"

The village chief was overjoyed and readily agreed, but then he suddenly remembered something and hesitated, saying, "However, I still need to discuss the specifics with Old Wang."

Building a dehydrated vegetable factory near Shibalipu Village is not only a big deal, but also involves the village's production and construction, and land approval is required. These things cannot be done without Secretary Wang's approval, and the village chief's nod is not enough.

"No rush, no rush, Uncle Lu, you can discuss it with Uncle Wang slowly. Anyway... I can't run away."

When Lai Sheng Lei spoke, she glanced at Li Xin, which delighted the village chief.

"Okay, I'll discuss this with Lao Wang later."

The village chief said with a smile.

Despite saying that, the village chief had already made up his mind to agree to Lai Shenglei building the factory. He knew very well that if Lai Shenglei were not Li Xin's wife, how could such a good thing have fallen into the hands of Shibali Village?

Shibalipu Village is located in a mountain valley, so the terrain is not good. If we really want to build a factory, wouldn't it be better to build it in the neighboring village on the hillside? It would also be more comfortable to build the factory in the town than in Shibalipu Village!

Once this factory is built, it will not only employ the villagers of Shibalipu Village, but also generate a large income from land rental. If it were a fair competition, Shibalipu Village would not have a chance to win such a good deal!

The only concern is that Lai Shenglei is so biased towards their Shibali Village. What if the factory isn't built well, or the villagers don't do their jobs well, dragging Lai Shenglei down and causing him to be punished by that commune leader? That would be a huge embarrassment for him.

Secretary Wang was having a pleasant conversation with Michael in the village office when the village chief suddenly burst in, grabbed Secretary Wang, and said, "Old Wang, there's good news, incredibly good news!"

"What's wrong? Can't you see I have a guest?"