CH 147

On the eighth day since Lin Wen returned to the county.

Finally, a fish took the bait.

As night fell, a local wealthy businessman came to visit, who was said to be a prominent figure in Huai Town.

He started with a flurry of flattery, and Lin Wen responded in kind with his "Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart".

The businessman quickly conceded defeat, humbly inviting Lin Wen to a banquet at his private restaurant.

Lin Wen chose three of his staff, along with Fang Weiwei, and the five of them went to the banquet.

The staff and secretaries who were not chosen were disappointed, realizing that they must compete fiercely. Everyone around them was a competitor, and they could not stand out without defeating most of them.

They glanced at each other, their eyes filled with subtle hostility.

The most anxious among them was Xiao Xiao, who was unexpectedly not chosen.

He originally thought he was the star of salvation, coming to save Changshan County from disaster, but found that there were countless people seeking refuge, not just him.

Moreover, after spending a few days together, he noticed that some people were very talented. Although he still considered himself superior, their presence dimmed his shine.

This made him extremely worried. If he couldn't be the brightest star, how could he catch the goddess's attention in this sea of stars?

Lin Wen and his party soon arrived at a restaurant called Dragon Phoenix Pavilion.

Located in the busiest district of Huai Town, it was a newly opened restaurant with luxurious decor, aiming to rival high-end hotels in big cities.

Compared to the ordinary buildings around, it stood out like a crane among chickens.

The banquet was held on the top floor, in a particularly large private room.

The host was a man named Wang Hong, who was said to be a local of Changshan County. After making a fortune elsewhere, he returned to invest in local industries out of nostalgia.

Lin Wen chatted idly with his "Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart", while his three staff members were deep in thought, guessing the Sheriff's intentions.

A supervisor from the Central State Supervision Bureau, Xu Ziqiang, thought: "Without a doubt, this is a test for us. That Fang Weiwei is said to be the Sheriff's mistress, so she doesn't count. The real competitors are the other two."

The three of them glanced at each other, seeing hostility in each other's eyes.

Another man named Cao Yuan, a middle-aged man who was a former counselor of the Yunzhou Governor's Mansion, had come here because he had been unable to secure a substantive position.

He thought to himself: "Based on experience, this businessman definitely wants to bribe us. But what does taking money have to do with being a staff member?"

The last one was a beautiful woman named Cheng Qingqing, who was just clinging to her youth. She was a former auditor from Longzhou, who had come here because she was disgusted with her incompetent husband. She had seen a lot of this kind of thing and thought:

"Sheriff Lin must want to establish a long-term stable interest delivery relationship with this businessman, so he needs to bring us along."

After a while of chatting and toasting, Wang Hong got to the point: "Sheriff Lin, I'm in the raw silk business. This batch of silkworm cocoons is about to hatch and needs to be shipped out as soon as possible. I wonder if Sheriff Lin could make it convenient for me."

The three staff members were all astute people. They didn't rashly speak up, not wanting to leave a bad impression. If they messed up, it would be disastrous.

Fang Weiwei, due to the wrong magic tool, couldn't enter her queen state and just stared blankly at Lin Wen, not saying a word.

Lin Wen smiled and asked, "How much is the goods worth?"

Wang Hong chuckled, "Not much, just over a hundred thousand."

Lin Wen stood up, "I have some things to do, so I'll take my leave."

The four of them stood up together. Fang Weiwei gave Wang Hong a disdainful look, naturally took Lin Wen's arm, and acted like they were on a date.

Wang Hong quickly said, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. What I meant was that it's over a hundred thousand per trip, far more than that in a month."

Lin Wen didn't want to waste time with him: "Wang Hong, let me be frank with you. The Public Security Bureau, the Supervision Bureau, the KGB, and the Anti-Corruption Committee have all set their sights on you. I don't need to tell you what you've done. Today, I'm here to give you a chance. Whether you can seize it or not, it's up to you."

He gave a signal, and the three staff members knew it was their time to shine.

Xu Ziqiang shouted, "Fool! You're oblivious to your impending doom. Do you know that the Supervision Bureau has a method called 'Human Skin Puppet'? They peel off your scalp, pour in mercury, and after a few minutes, they pull it off, and your entire skin comes off. Your skin is dried on a puppet, and that's called a 'Human Skin Puppet'!"

Cao Yuan persuaded gently, "As long as you have capital, you can make as much money as you want. Sheriff Lin holds great power. No matter the cost, as long as you can connect with him, wealth and honor are within reach."

Cheng Qingqing sneered, "Wang Hong, a trip's worth of over a hundred thousand silkworm cocoons, how many trucks do you need to transport them without squeezing or stacking? I'm afraid even a fleet of trucks wouldn't be enough. Do you think Sheriff Lin wouldn't know about such a large flow of vehicles in and out of Changshan County? Do you take Sheriff Lin for a fool?"

They all joined forces, using both threats and inducements, while Lin Wen sat in the distance, flirting with Fang Weiwei, acting as if he didn't care about anything but his beauty.

After a while, the three of them brought a dejected Wang Hong over. He said, "Sheriff Lin, I'm willing to pay 5 million for peace. Please be lenient."

Lin Wen immediately pushed Fang Weiwei away and laughed, "No, at least 50 million."

The color drained from Wang Hong's face, and he shouted, "Sheriff Lin! Even if I do this for ten years, the profit won't be 50 million! You're asking for my life! Even if you kill me, I don't have it!"

Lin Wen shook his head and laughed, "You're beyond help. You drug smugglers, the bulk of your profits are consumed on the road. 50 million, and I guarantee you free passage in Changshan County. You can directly store and transfer drugs in Huai Town. There's a dock, a bus station, and the only train station in the whole of Changshan County."

"Using my name, you can board ships, buses, and trains without any hindrance. Go wherever you want."

"Just think about it, how much trouble and money you can save along the way, and how many times your profit can multiply. You can earn back 50 million within a year."

From his expression, Wang Hong was clearly shaken. He hesitated for a long time before asking, "Really?"

Lin Wen laughed, "Fang Weiwei, tell him, how did the last drug dealer who cooperated with us end up?"

But there was no response from his side. Turning his head, he saw Fang Weiwei with tears streaming down her face. He quickly comforted her, "What's wrong, baby?"

Fang Weiwei pulled away from Lin Wen's hand, looking upset. Lin Wen spent a long time comforting her, wiping her tears and promising to play with her, before she finally cheered up.

Wang Hong, on the other hand, showed no impatience. He thought to himself, "It seems that Sheriff Lin is really experienced. He and his sweetheart don't care about this 50 million at all. Maybe I can trust him."

After a while, Fang Weiwei turned her head. She first gave Wang Hong a disdainful look, as if she didn't care about him at all. She was just annoyed that he had interrupted her good time with Sheriff Lin. Then she said:

"The last one-eyed dragon paid 88 million, much more generous than you, hmph!"

Wang Hong apologized repeatedly and cautiously asked, "What happened to that, um, partner afterwards?"

To read the uncut version, go to pawread dot com.

Fang Weiwei turned her face away, not bothering to answer him, "He's probably ascended to heaven by now."

Lin Wen added, "Yes, ascended to heaven, he's having a great time."

Wang Hong hesitated for a while, then asked, "I heard that Sheriff Lin wiped out a gang of bandits a while ago. Is this related?"

Lin Wen sneered, "That's the fate of those who don't obey."

Fang Weiwei suddenly cooed, "Why bother talking to him? You have the power, just order Fang Laochu to bring soldiers over and wipe him out. He's wasting our time."

This sentence was a fatal blow to Wang Hong. He immediately said, "I agree! Sheriff Lin, 50 million, you have to protect me from now on."

Lin Wen laughed, "Don't worry, I'm always fair. Once I take the money, I'll give you a written receipt as proof. This is called having a clear conscience! From now on, you're my good brother, Lin Wen. Feel free to swagger around Changshan County."

Wang Hong finally relaxed, but he didn't have that much money on hand. He wanted to ask for a few days' grace, but seeing Sheriff Lin's indifferent expression, he didn't dare to speak out. He had to rush to raise money.

But it was difficult to raise so much money in a short time. Several of his staff came over to help him out, suggesting that he borrow from high-interest lenders.

Wang Hong gritted his teeth, thinking that he was making a huge profit anyway and wasn't afraid of not being able to pay it back. So he used his own reputation and assets as collateral and borrowed from all the high-interest lenders he could find.

But he was still short. His staff introduced him to several reputable high-interest lenders, and he finally raised enough money.

When the bank card containing 50 million was handed to Lin Wen, Lin Wen laughed, "Brother, have a good journey to heaven, and be a good person in your next life."

He casually took out a gun that he had hidden in Fang Weiwei's bosom before setting off, and ended Wang Hong's sinful life with a single shot in his bewildered eyes.

Immediately, the "Crow", who had been waiting for a long time, led a large group of guards in. In front of a bunch of stunned accomplices and subordinates of Wang Hong, as well as the three stupefied staff, he shouted, "Rich man Wang Hong, suspected of smuggling drugs! Selling imperial contraband! Seize all his assets and funds, all related personnel, all arrested and imprisoned!"

The three staff members were dumbfounded, watching the guards rush up and pin down the howling accomplices of Wang Hong, frantically searching for all the property in the house.

Their spirits were shattered, their mouths drooling, their eyes wider than an owl's, as if more white in their eyes could express the blankness in their hearts.

Only Fang Weiwei, who didn't care about anything outside, wanted to get close to Lin Wen, but she knew that the play was over.

A supporting actress without a role can't win the love of the protagonist.

By the time this trip was over, it was already evening. The crescent moon hung in the sky, casting a faint glow on the shadows of the people.

Lin Wen took out a few hundred dollars from his pocket and stuffed it into Fang Weiwei's bosom, as a fee for her friendly performance today.

"Go home early, it's safe on the road now, you can walk back."

Then he and the three staff members got into the official car and drove back to the county government office.

Only Fang Weiwei was left alone.

She carefully took out the money Lin Wen had given her and smoothed out each bill.

This was money given by Sheriff Lin, and she decided to keep it forever, without spending a cent.