I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 330: Chapter 178: Small Tricks

Yang Haishan trembled all over, his lips quivering, but he couldn’t utter a word.

He had brought these people to put on a show of force, to subtly pressure Wang Yanzhi and display his own influence in the local business community. He never expected Wang Yanzhi to be so domineering, to just flip the table and, in front of so many prominent local figures, utterly shred the reputation and dignity he valued most.

The atmosphere instantly dropped to a freezing point, so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

All eyes were on Yang Haishan. Some gloated over his misfortune, while others felt a pang of shared fear, knowing they could be next. But mostly, there was just profound terror. If Wang Yanzhi treated someone like Yang Haishan this way, what would he do to small fries like them?

Furthermore, they were waiting, hoping Yang Haishan would stand up and fight back against Wang Yanzhi. A part of Yang Haishan wanted to do just that, but on the way here, he’d heard that his brother-in-law had been arrested. It tied his hands.

Just then, Liao Tianming, who had been watching silently from the sidelines, finally forced himself to stand up.

”Supervisor Wang, please calm your anger. Chairman Yang, don’t be so hasty.”

Liao Tianming put on a smile and stepped between the two men, playing the peacemaker. ”This is all for official business, all to support the front lines. Our intentions are the same. Chairman Yang, Supervisor Wang has a point. Since the Provincial Government has set the amount, this money will have to be paid sooner or later.”

He personally poured a glass of wine for Yang Haishan and said, ”Paying it early or paying it late, it still has to be paid. We in Lingshan New District have always understood the bigger picture. The mining company, in particular, should be a model for others. If everyone cooperates, the Supervisor will surely remember your contributions and put in a good word for our New District with the Provincial Government. There are bound to be some favorable policies for us in the future.”

His words seemed conciliatory, but the message boiled down to five words: The money must be paid!

Yang Haishan glanced at the expressionless Yang Wenqing, then at his ”friends,” who were all scared silent. Finally, his gaze fell on Wang Yanzhi.

A brilliant smile then spread across his face. He raised the glass Liao Tianming had poured, toasted Wang Yanzhi, and said:

”...The Supervisor’s lesson is well-taken. I was being shortsighted. The company will absolutely submit the full one hundred million for the army reward fund to the Provincial Government on time. We would never dare delay important matters for the front lines.”

Wang Yanzhi’s aggressive demeanor immediately softened. He lifted his glass and said, ”Chairman Yang, you truly understand what’s important. On behalf of the soldiers at the front, I thank you.”

At this point, the banquet had lost all meaning. After they had both downed their drinks, Wang Yanzhi looked around and said, ”All right, everyone’s tired today. Let’s all head back and get some rest.”

But no one dared to get up and leave. Finally, Yang Wenqing was the first to stand. ”Please, enjoy the rest of your meal. I have some matters to attend to at home, so I’ll be taking my leave.”

”Take care, Director Yang. Thank you for your hard work today.”

Wang Yanzhi, now seemingly in a good mood, replied with a smile.

Liao Tianming escorted Yang Wenqing to the door of the private room, exchanged a few polite words, and then hurried back inside. On his way, he saw Yang Haishan and his group approaching.

When he returned to the room, only Wang Yanzhi and his aide—who had arrived at some unknown point—remained. The two were eating at a leisurely pace. Seeing Liao Tianming, Wang Yanzhi said, ”I’m not one of those Qi Cultivators. I’m starving. Want some?”

Before Liao Tianming could answer, he added, ”If you’re not eating, you can head back. This place is quite nice. I’ll be staying here tonight. You can make the arrangements.”

He wasn’t being the least bit discreet.

Liao Tianming tactfully withdrew from the private room, gently closing the door behind him and shutting out the low murmurs of Wang Yanzhi and his aide’s dinner conversation.

He then found the head manager of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and gave him some quiet instructions. After that, he summoned a trusted clerk from the Civil Affairs Bureau and had him wait not far from the room, ready to attend to Supervisor Wang’s needs at a moment’s notice and handle his check-in.

After arranging all this, Liao Tianming finally let out a long sigh of relief, only then realizing his back was soaked with cold sweat. He quickly departed from the still brightly lit den of extravagance.

「Inside the private room.」

Only Wang Yanzhi and his aide remained.

”So?” Wang Yanzhi unhurriedly picked up a choice morsel with his chopsticks, placed it in his mouth, and chewed thoughtfully. It was as if the violent storm of a confrontation just now had been nothing more than an appetizer.

In response to the question, his aide replied, ”The team of undercover investigators sent by the Second Seat arrived on the outskirts of the mining district three days ago. They’re posing as procurement representatives from the Commerce Association and have been active around several of the larger mining plants. From the looks of it, they’ve already gathered some initial findings.”

Hearing this, Wang Yanzhi chuckled. ”Just as I thought, they’re after the books. Though what we did back then was indeed shady, we absolutely cannot admit to these old accounts now. If we do, it won’t just be about money. Heads will roll, and a lot of people will be dragged down with us.”

He put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a warm towel. ”Have someone inform our dear Chairman Yang, but don’t expose our involvement. Also, have your people cook the books more meticulously.”

The aide nodded, making a mental note, then hesitated. ”Young Master, that Yang Haishan is usually arrogant and tyrannical. In the past, whenever he discovered someone secretly investigating his factories, he’d have them beaten up first. There have even been deaths. You just infuriated him, and now you want him informed about those investigators. This could very well lead to a bloody conflict.”

Wang Yanzhi chuckled. ”Isn’t that perfect? It will force them out into the open. Don’t you worry. This is politics. After all, everyone has to play the game. No exceptions.”

He paused, then added, ”However, you must notify the City Defense Bureau in time. We can’t have the investigators sent by the Second Seat actually getting hurt. That would be difficult to explain.”

As the aide nodded and said, ”Yes, sir,” he stole a quick glance at his young master’s expression. ’This time, by fanning the flames,’ he thought, ’we’re probably pushing Chairman Yang into a pit of eternal damnation. And he’s doing it without lifting a finger, while also managing to drag the City Defense Bureau into it.’

...

「At the energy processing plant in the Lingshan New District mining area.」

Deep within the plant complex, a streamlined private Flying Shuttle landed silently on the chairman’s exclusive landing pad. The cabin door slid open, and Yang Haishan descended the ramp, his face livid. The night wind, carrying the fine dust and low-frequency hum of machinery unique to the mining area, rushed to meet him, but it couldn’t blow away the frustration and fury in his heart.

One hundred million!

With just a few casual words, Wang Yanzhi had carved out a huge chunk of his flesh. Even more hateful was the humiliation of being trampled on in public.

When had he, Yang Haishan, ever suffered such an insult? But his opponent wielded the righteous authority of the Provincial Government, leaving him no room to even bargain.

”Chairman!”

The factory manager, who had been waiting, hurried over, a trace of unconcealable anxiety on his face. ”You’re finally back! We’ve spotted a few more groups of unfamiliar faces wandering around the perimeter of the plant. I had someone look into it. They claim to be doing market research, but their questions are very specific. They’re even asking about our waste disposal channels and the years our old warehouses were commissioned.”

Yang Haishan stopped in his tracks, his already gloomy expression darkening further. ”Did you find out who they are?”

The manager replied, ”We checked. They’re from the city. Probably trying to gather evidence to file a report against us again.” ℯℯ𝑙.

At this, Yang Haishan’s voice became shrill with anger. ”Go! Get the security team. ’Invite’ them to the Security Section. If their attitude is good, ask them a few questions. If not, give them a beating first! Let them learn what places they should and shouldn’t be, and what questions they should and shouldn’t ask!”

”Right away.” The manager knew his chairman’s temperament well and didn’t dare hesitate for a second. He hurried off immediately.

Yang Haishan’s rage had not yet subsided. His chest heaved a few times before he managed to suppress the violent impulse.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. ’The money has to be paid, after all. Wang Yanzhi has already laid down the law. Allowing me to not transfer it directly from the official account is the last bit of face he’s willing to give me.’

He had to verify the accounts immediately and prepare the one hundred million. At the very least, he had to make the surface look pristine, not giving his opponent any more leverage.

With that, he strode toward the main conference room in the central administration building of the plant.

The conference room was brightly lit. On his way back, he had already ordered all the staff from the finance department to return to the office.