Power and Wealth

Noon.

The air conditioner is on, and it’s cooling in the apartment.

Dong Xuebing, Yu Meixia, and Yu Qianqian had just finished lunch and was watching the afternoon news when Dong Xuebing’s phone rang. Without Dong Xuebing saying anything, Yu Meixia answered it. The past few days, Yu Meixia had been like Dong Xuebing’s secretary and had helped him answer most of his phone calls. If it is an important call, she will hold the phone against Dong Xuebing’s ears for him to answer. If the call is not important, she will tell the caller, ‘Chief Dong is not around.’

“Hello, good afternoon.”

“You are Xiao Yu? Is Xuebing around?”

“Oh, you are?” Yu Meixia felt the caller’s voice is familiar to her.

“I am Xiao Bing’s Second Aunt. Xiao Jin is beaten up by someone. Get him on the phone!”

Yu Meixia was shocked. She knew Dong Xuebing dotes on his cousin and quickly place the phone on Dong Xuebing’s ear. She whispered to him. “It’s your Second Aunt. She says Tang Jin was beaten up.”

“What?” Dong Xuebing’s face changed. “Second Aunt, what happened?”

“Xiao Bing, can you call Wu Tian Village Station? I am afraid Xiao Jin will be bullied!”

“What happened?”

Dong Xuebing’s Second Aunt was not sure what happened as she is not with Tang Jin.

Dong Xuebing replied. “Second Aunt, don’t worry. I will go over now!”

“You... You are still injured...”

“I am fine. Don’t worry about it. I will take care of Tang Jin!”

Dong Xuebing was furious. Among his relatives, he is the closest to his Second Aunt’s family. Damn! Who dares to bully and hit my younger sister?! Dong Xuebing asked Yu Meixia to put on his shoes for him and walked out of the door. Yu Meixia was worried about him and asked Yu Qianqian to take an afternoon nap while she followed along. They got in a taxi and went straight to Wu Tian Village.

In an alley, three streets away from the Township office.

Dong Xuebing alighted from the Taxi in front of a shop selling cigarettes and saw Tang Jin and Liu Li. There are two police officers beside them too.

Dong Xuebing shouted. “Xiao Jin!”

Tang Jin turns around, and her eyes turned red. She ran over. “Brother! Aunt Yu!”

Dong Xuebing asked. “What happened? Who hit you? Are you ok?”

Tang Jin’s tears rolled down her cheeks. “It’s someone from that cigarette shop! I... I wanted to visit Liu Li’s parents today and had bought a carton of cigarettes from this shop. An old man at the end of the alley saw me and told me that this shop is selling counterfeit cigarettes. He examined the carton of cigarettes and told me that it is fake. I immediately return to the shop to ask for a refund, but they refused. They even pushed me, making me fall and hit my head. My head is bleeding.”

Dong Xuebing suppressed his anger and said. “Turn around and let me see your wound!”

Tang Jin sniffled and turned around, holding her hair up. The bleeding had stopped, but her white scalp was stained red.

Dong Xuebing felt his heart ached. “Is it painful?”

Tang Jin pouted. “Yes.”

Dong Xuebing looked at Liu Li coldly. “What the hell are you doing?! You can’t even protect a girl?!”

Liu Li kept quiet and did not say a word.

Tang Jin pulled Dong Xuebing. “Brother, it’s not Liu Li’s fault. He was not around when I bought the cigarettes. After he knows I was bullied by that shop, he immediately called two officers from their station to arrest the culprit. But... but that shop seems to have backings. It is owned by a relative of Deputy Bureau Chief Lu Dafa from the County’s Investment Promotion Agency. I heard from someone in the Police Station that Deputy Bureau Chief Lu is close to the newly appointed Publicity Department Chief. So...”

Dong Xuebing looked at Liu Li. “Is that person arrested?”

Liu Li replied. “Not yet. They say they will compensate us.”

Tang Jin said to Dong Xuebing. “Brother, let’s forget it.” Although she felt she had been treated unfairly, she does not want to bring trouble to Dong Xuebing. After all, this shop has got the backing of a County leader. Also, after the other party knows she is Dong Xuebing’s younger cousin, he is willing to pay her some money to let the matter rest.

Lu Dafa? Deputy Bureau Chief Lu Dafa, from the County’s Investment Promotion Agency?

Dong Xuebing had never heard of this name before and is not interested in finding out who he is. “Follow me!”

Tang Jin and Yu Meixia were holding to Dong Xuebing’s arms, and Liu Li is following behind.

The two Police Officers recognized Dong Xuebing and immediately greeted him. A tall skinny middle-aged man is standing beside them and should be the boss of the shop. He heard the officers greeting Dong Xuebing and was shocked. Dong Xuebing is here?! A young man standing behind the boss of the shop was looking nervous. But when he thought about his boss’s backing, he straightens his back. This young man is the one who pushed Tang Jin and made her fall.

The boss walks forward with a fake smile. “Chief Dong... Nice to meet you.”

Dong Xuebing looked at the boss emotionlessly. “You are the one who sold the counterfeit cigarettes to my cousin?”

“It’s a misunderstanding. I don’t know she is your cousin and...” The boss had heard of Dong Xuebing’s nickname, God of Plague.

Dong Xuebing looked at him and shouted. “Don’t tell me that you don’t know that it is illegal to sell counterfeit cigarettes?! My sister is not allowed to ask for refunds?! You all still dare to hit my sister?!”

The boss replied unnaturally. “It’s only a push. This is a misunderstanding.” Ring... ring... ring... The boss’s phone rang, and he answered softly. After that, he passed the phone to Dong Xuebing. “It’s my elder cousin, Lu Dafa.”

Yu Meixia asked. “Chief Dong, you want to answer?”

Dong Xuebing replied coldly. “Yes.”

Yu Meixia took the phone from the boss and placed it on Dong Xuebing’s ear.

“Hello? Chief Dong? I’m Old Lu from the Investment Promotion Agency.”

“I heard about your cousin, and there might be a misunderstanding somewhere. I will ask him to pay some money and let the matter rest.” Lu Dafa and Dong Xuebing are both Deputy Section Chief rank. The Investment Promotion Agency is not as important as the Public Security, and because of the reshuffle of the County’s leaders, and Lu Dafa is very close to the County’s newly appointed Publicity Department Chief, he becomes big-headed, and Dong Xuebing should give in to him.

But Dong Xuebing replied. “Pay some money and let the matter rest?”

Lu Dafa frowned. “Chief Dong, give me some face, ok?”

If Lu Dafa had not made this call, Dong Xuebing might let the matter rest because of him. But the first thing Lu Dafa said over the phone is to let the matter rest. Dong Xuebing was furious because the cigarette shop’s boss is the same. They did not apologize and tried to use the money to settle this. Dong Xuebing replied coldly. “Your men had injured my sister, and her head is bleeding. You want me to give you face and let the matter rest? Give us money? How about I beat your relative up and then pay you a sum of money? Can you accept it?”

Lu Dafa did not expect Dong Xuebing to be so aggressive. “What do you mean by this?”

Dong Xuebing retorted. “I should be the one asking this.” If this matter is settled like this, Dong Xuebing will lose face, and Tang Jin can’t address her grievances.

Lu Dafa got angry and roared over the phone, “Then just do whatever you want!” After that, he hangs up.

Dong Xuebing is about to explode. Do you dare to hang up on me?! You got no respect for me!

The cigarette shop’s boss knew the negotiations were off and frowned. He thought to himself. I am willing to pay money to settle this. What else do you want? That girl had only suffered a knock on her head and did not even require stitches. What’s the big deal? Even if she is Chief Dong’s sister, he does not need to stand up for her like this. Let alone that girl is only his cousin.

Dong Xuebing narrowed his eyes. “Who hit my sister earlier?!”

The boss did not reply to Dong Xuebing and felt he is unreasonable.

Dong Xuebing shouted again. “I am asking you a question!”

The boss’s face changed. “Chief Dong, if you want money, we are willing to pay you. If you want cigarettes, we can give you. This matter is...”

Dong Xuebing interrupted the boss. “What? You think you are in the right after selling counterfeit cigarettes and hitting others?!”

Tang Jin cried out to Dong Xuebing. “Brother.”

Yu Meixia also tried to persuade Dong Xuebing. “Xuebing, your injuries are not healed.”

Dong Xuebing was furious because his younger cousin was beaten up. “I ask you again! Who is the one that hit my sister?!”

The boss was pissed and refused to reply to Dong Xuebing.

“F**k you! You dare to show me your attitude?” Dong Xuebing raised his leg and kicked the boss!

The boss shouted in pain as he fell into his shop. His elbows hit the glass display shelves, and it shattered! He did not expect Dong Xuebing to kick him so suddenly!

The young man shouted at Dong Xuebing. “Why are you hitting others?! You are unreasonable!”

Tang Jin pointed to him. “He is the one who pushed me!”

Dong Xuebing looked at that young man. “Reason with you? When you hit my sister, did you reason with her? Ah?!” Dong Xuebing stepped forward and kicked that young man. Dong Xuebing cannot move his upper body because of his injuries, and can only use his leg to kick.

The young man dodged Dong Xuebing’s kick and rushed forward.

Yu Meixia gasped. “Watch out! Xuebing!”

Dong Xuebing could not avoid that young man, but someone beside him rushed forward. Tang Jin’s boyfriend, Liu Li!

Liu Li stood in front of Dong Xuebing and punched that young man. The young man tried to retaliate, but Liu Li had been working in the Police Station for years. His unarmed combat skills are good, and with one sweep of his leg, that young man fell onto the floor. Liu Li quickly bent over and gave that young man a punch to his face!

Dong Xuebing nodded and said. “Bring them back!”

The two officers from Wu Tian village hesitated and did not move.

Dong Xuebing looked at the officers and asked. “You want me to call Chief Qin?”

One of the officers pulled his partner and walked over to arrest that young man. They had heard about Chief Dong in the past, but now... indeed... he is exactly like the rumors. No wonder his nickname is God of Plague!