Chapter 159: Yang Dong, Are You Playing for Keeps?

"Y-Director Yang, you are joking. I am just a minor, low-ranking cadre. How could you possibly have heard of me?"

Hong Gang's face carried a hint of awkwardness and tension as he forced a smile toward Yang Dong.

Yang Dong, however, merely waved his hand dismissively and said, "Ah, that is not how you should put it. You are doing a fine job as the director of the Industrial and Commercial Law Enforcement Station. You have made tremendous contributions to purifying the commercial environment of Xiashuizhen, clearing out unreasonable petty vendors, and enhancing the urban beauty of the town."

"If you ask me, Secretary Gong and Mayor Jin ought to present you with a medal—at least one as large as a millstone. If it were any smaller, the people of the entire town wouldn't agree."

As soon as Yang Dong's words landed, both Gong Hongyang and Jin Min, standing nearby, felt the sharp, cutting edge behind them.

As for what kind of psychological state and mental activity the person involved, Hong Gang, was experiencing, it was anyone's guess.

Yet, judging by the slight twitching of the muscles and the corners of Hong Gang's eyes, it was evident that Yang Dong's sarcasm and humiliation had hit him hard.

As to how well the Industrial and Commercial Law Enforcement Station actually performed, the petty vendors of Xiashuizhen held the most authoritative voice.

"You gentlemen, do you have any business with me?"

Dropping the formalities and ignoring Hong Gang entirely, Yang Dong turned his gaze toward the town leaders, Gong Hongyang and Jin Min.

"Director Yang, is this gentleman your father?"

Instead of answering Yang Dong's question, Jin Min smiled warmly and looked past Yang Dong toward Yang Jianwen, taking the initiative to speak.

"Yes, yes, yes, Mayor! This is indeed Yang Dong's father, Yang Jianwen, and he is our village's premier farming expert!"

Seeing Jin Min ask, Village Party Secretary Yang Haomin immediately stepped forward to introduce Yang Jianwen in his capacity as village secretary.

Jin Min naturally knew Yang Haomin. As the town mayor, how could he possibly not know the party secretaries of the administrative and natural villages under Xiashuizhen?

It was simply that Xiaoyang Village was a tiny hamlet consisting of barely dozens of households and a population of little over two hundred, making it an insignificant priority for the town government.

Yet, that might have to change now. From this day forward, any favorable policies or financial subsidies from the town would need to lean a bit more toward Xiaoyang Village.

"Old Yang, you're not playing fair here! You have such a prominent farming household in your village, why didn't you report it to the town?"

"The town could have provided policy support, including subsidies for grain cultivation, harvesting, and sales."

"As a village secretary, your performance is falling short."

Feigning a stern expression of displeasure, Jin Min reproached village secretary Yang Haomin before taking two steps forward to proactively shake hands with Yang Jianwen.

"Elder Brother Yang, hello."

Abandoning any airs of official authority, the town mayor Jin Min shook hands with Yang Jianwen in an exceedingly cordial manner.

Yang Jianwen was a pure, honest farmer; when had he ever been regarded with such high importance by a town mayor?

Consequently, he reached out his hand somewhat clumsily, only to have it firmly grasped and pulled in by Jin Min.

"Just look at this hand. One can tell at a glance it is a hand that has contributed to our nation's increased grain production."

Jin Min deliberately lifted Yang Jianwen's hand, gesturing for the other town leaders to take a look.

His praise did not feel sickening; rather, it struck a remarkably comfortable note.

"Ah, well, this... Leader, I don't have such a lofty vision. Growing good grain and having enough to eat is the sole wish of us tillers of the land."

Flustered by Jin Min's compliments, Yang Jianwen's weathered face flushed crimson as he stammered for quite a while before finally squeezing out those few words.

"Hahaha, Elder Brother Yang is truly so down-to-earth."

"It is precisely because of honest peasant brothers like you who help our nation guard the red line of arable land that our population of 1.4 billion avoids starvation."

"Though our Northeast region lags in economic development, we are the ones providing the bedrock for the country. Whether it is economic construction or national defense and military, ultimately, it all relies on the Great Granary of the Northeast to back us up."

"What is this? This is the nation's foundation of confidence!"

"And outstanding peasant brothers like Elder Brother Yang are precisely one of those ten thousand foundations of confidence that collectively comprise the backbone of our country."

Watching his father's face turn bright red while his back involuntarily straightened up, Yang Dong felt a trace of helplessness.

His father was, after all, a simple farmer; being flattered by local officials like this would inevitably make him float a little.

It seemed the key leaders of Xiashuizhen were dead set on resolving this matter concerning his mother.

Knowing they could get nowhere through him, they intended to approach it through his father.

They were exploiting the simplicity and kindness of a peasant, striking at the pride and face valued so dearly by ordinary grassroots folk.

If they praised his father just a little more, the old man might end up dragging his mother over to apologize to the people at the Industrial and Commercial Law Enforcement Station...

He could not let them continue like this!

"Gentlemen, there is a matter I must formally notify the Xiashuizhen Town Party Committee and Government about. Since the town party secretary, deputy secretary, mayor, and discipline inspection secretary are all present right here, it saves me the trouble of seeking you out in town."

"A work group from the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission will soon be stationed in Xiashuizhen. It is hoped that the Xiashuizhen Discipline Inspection Commission will take charge of coordination and liaison."

"Secretary Guo Wei, you have no problem with this, do you?"

Yang Dong looked toward the Xiashuizhen Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary, Guo Wei, and asked in a deep voice.

The town leaders were instantly struck dumb by this sudden piece of news.

They had originally intended to use the path through Yang Jianwen to resolve the conflict between the Industrial and Commercial Law Enforcement Station and Du Yuxiang.

Now, it appeared far too late.

The Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission work group had arrived in Xiashuizhen; what was their intent? It could not be more obvious.

This caused Gong Hongyang's expression to instantly turn complex, a lingering trace of dissatisfaction and displeasure toward Yang Dong rising in his heart.

Yang Dong, are you playing for keeps?

We are all part of Xiashuizhen; we practically count as our own people. Was there any need to go this far?

If the Industrial and Commercial Law Enforcement Station had problems, you should have told us, and we would have rectified them immediately.

We could even have removed the deputy director or the director entirely; as long as it cleared the anger from your chest, anything would do.

Yet why must you push it to this extent now? Is this meant to burn all bridges?

Jin Min's complexion was hardly pleasant either, though his heart was filled with even more trepidation.

The smile on the face of Xiashuizhen's Deputy Secretary, Qi Shan, faded away as he stood silently to the side without uttering a word.

The one under the greatest pressure, however, was Guo Wei, the Secretary of the Xiashuizhen Discipline Inspection Commission. He could feel countless gazes converging upon him.

Gong Hongyang stared at him, the meaning in his eyes unspoken yet clear.

Jin Min also gazed at him, carrying subtle hints within his glance.

Jiang Hu's stare was even sharper, glaring at him as he awaited his choice.

Yet the greatest pressure of all came from Yang Dong. Though Yang Dong was still smiling, Guo Wei understood what lay hidden beneath that smile.

As the Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary of Xiashuizhen, he understood it better than anyone.

Normally, the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission had no direct jurisdiction over the town discipline inspection commission, as the town commission was supervised by its superior body, the Kaiyang County Discipline Inspection Commission.

The power for his next personnel transfer as town discipline inspection secretary also rested in the hands of the Kaiyang County Party Committee.

Even so, the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission remained a higher-tier department within the framework, and he, as a town discipline inspection secretary, still had to obey.

If you refused to obey, the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission had countless ways of making you comply.

"Very well, very well. I will certainly cooperate fully with the work of the leaders from the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission and take good care of their daily lodging and meals."

Bearing the immense weight of pressure, Guo Wei made his stance clear.

Hearing this, Yang Dong smiled and once again extended his hand toward Guo Wei.

"Many thanks for Secretary Guo's understanding and support!"