Chapter 1619 The Leader Comes Knocking (1/2)

Class gatherings, family gatherings, and going home to celebrate the Lunar New Year — this much was standard for Li Du.

However, there was an extra component this year. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, one of the county leaders came to visit them. The one who came was an in-charge of the Urban Construction Bureau, and he brought along with him some gifts and subordinates as he made his rounds around the area.

Li Du knew there was a reason why the man was here. The official must have been after something to come knocking on his door all of a sudden, and that something was probably money. Li Du guessed the man was aware he had been doing well in America and so made the trip down to ask for some investment funds.

The leader did not say much that day, only offered the standard greetings and pleasantries when he was at their door. A few days after on the fifth day of the new year, the county government sent a car to their doorstep. The County Magistrate had gone out of his way to send Li Du an invitation for a get-together.

Li Du's mother was a little worried, so she said, ”Little Du, nothing good comes out of an invitation from the government. Do you want me to find a way to reject it?”

Li Du smiled as he responded, ”What's the worst that could happen? I'll go and see what's going on. Don't worry, your son has traveled far and wide, what is there that he hasn't experienced?”

His mother felt conflicted and rubbed her hands together. ”You haven't been around your homeland much in the past years, so you don't know how things work here. Why don't you let your father go? He's an old man anyway, the government won't touch him even if things go wrong.”

Li Du's father was unhappy at that and retorted, ”Your speculations about the government are nothing but malicious. What would our government do to its people? If there are issues to sort out or crimes to admit to, then so be it. What can they do to innocent people? You're being ridiculous if you deny—”

Li Du looked at the driver who had been waiting outside for quite a while now, and said, ”Alright, dad, that's enough. I know what's going on, and it'll be fine if I just go and settle things.”

His mother was shocked. She asked, ”You know what this is about?”

Li Du smiled. ”I'm not an idiot. It's alright, you guys just stay put and wait here. I should be back in the afternoon.”

He boarded the vehicle, which was a Buick minivan. Instead of heading straight to the County Government Compound after Li Du boarded, the car went one round along his street to pick up five other people.

Very quickly, the car was packed full.

Li Du stroked his chin — something was off. It seemed like this was not what he thought it was going to be, and he was not being fetched for investment-related issues.

It was obvious from a glance at their clothes that the other passengers were no big shots because they were all his neighbors, though Li Du did not really know these people because he had not been home since his high school days. He just thought they looked familiar.

The others seemed to recognize him, though. Someone handed him a cigarette as he asked him, ”You're Old Li's boy, right? Li Du, was it? I remember you.”

The driver spoke coldly before Li Du could respond to the man, ”Hey, no smoking in the car. Throw the cigarette out.”

A lady wearing a colorful down jacket sneered, ”Didn't your boss tell you to treat us well, Driver Song? We don't like the tone you're using with us.”

The driver hummed, ”Ha, you dumb fool. This is the kind of person I am, and what about it? Go report me if you're so unhappy. Tell them I didn't let you smoke in the company car and have the secretary deal with me!”

The lady had a sharp tongue. She had quite the mouth on her and was rather adept at quarreling after the thousands of times she had argued with her neighbors or on the streets and backyards. When she opened her mouth to speak, it was as if a machine gun had started firing.

”Hey, Xiao Song, what's with this attitude of yours, huh? You wanna go? You looking down on us because we're from the vulnerable group? You listen to me now, don't bully us just because you're driving a company car! We're no pushovers, okay? You don't get to step all over us like this. We've got connections up there, the General Secretary of the Party and the President of the country has always said he misses us—”

She did not manage to bluff Xiao Song but she did manage to confuse the neighbor beside her. ”F*ck, you patriotic b*tch, you've got connections with the General Secretary?”

The lady responded, ”Of course, didn't you hear what he said during the new year? The people he misses the most at the end of the year is us—”