"Was the Township Governnt able to handle this matter at that ti?"
Liao Quansheng exhaled two faint wisps of smoke from his nostrils, a sneer playing on his lips. "Let tell you, the Township Governnt will be of no use then, and I won’t really sue the farrs if they breach the contract. So, there are too many uncertainties with this proposal, and I won’t accept it."
Du Heng saw that Liao Quansheng was aware of the situation, so he stopped expressing his opinion and asked with slight confusion, "What did you call for then?"
"I heard you have so influence in the villages, so I want you to help us persuade the farrs when the ti cos. If that doesn’t work, maybe act as a guarantor to make everyone trust Dong and our company."
Du Heng shook his head vigorously. "I’m not doing such a foolish thing! Guarantee? Have I gone mad or what?"
Liao Quansheng glanced sideways at Du Heng. "Hey, if you don’t act as guarantor, does that an you don’t trust , or you don’t trust Dong?"
Du Heng glared back at Liao Quansheng. "Given the reasons you just ntioned, if sothing goes wrong, who should I help? On one side are my brothers and friends, and on the other are the villagers who trust . You tell , who do I help? What you’re doing now is purely a business transaction; it requires mutual consent. You’re putting , an outsider, in the middle. When the ti cos, I’ll be like a mouse in a bellows—catching flak from both sides. So, go find whoever you want. I can’t do this kind of thing."
Realizing why he had been summoned, Du Heng, after saying his piece, turned to leave. He truly didn’t want to get involved in this ss. But just as he wanted to leave, it seed Lord in Heaven clearly wasn’t going to let him.
As soon as he rounded the corner of the building, Dong Yuezhang erged from it with a group of people. Spotting Du Heng, Dong Yuezhang imdiately asked, "Du, where’s Liao?" Du Heng pointed behind him and continued walking away, head down.
This action, however, made Dong Yuezhang pause for a mont before he quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?"
"Back to my workplace to get on with my job."
"I still have sothing to tell you."
"Let’s not talk about it. I’m busy, really pressed for ti."
Dong Yuezhang, ignoring whether Du Heng was busy or not, held his arm firmly. "Since you’re already here, don’t fuss over a few minutes. Hear out before you go."
Du Heng yanked his arm hard. From the strength of Dong Yuezhang’s grip, he instantly understood Dong Yuezhang’s resolve.
Left with no choice, Du Heng pleaded with a pained expression, "I really do have things to do. Please, just let go."
At this mont, Dong Yuezhang also spotted Liao Quansheng rounding the corner of the building. His gaze flickered between the two n a couple of tis, and he then understood why Du Heng was so determined to leave.
His eyes darted around. Regardless of whether Du Heng was listening, he imdiately blurted out the predicant he was facing and why he needed Du Heng’s help.
However, he also knew why Du Heng was so insistent on leaving, so he finally said, "Brother, your words carry more weight than mine in the village. My request isn’t much: just that when we’re talking with the farrs, you help us out by saying a few words. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?"
Without waiting for Du Heng’s consent, Dong Yuezhang dragged him by the arm towards the car, simultaneously calling out to Liao Quansheng, "Liao, let’s go back to the village and talk with everyone. If that doesn’t work, we’ll figure out sothing else."
Du Heng was reluctantly bundled into the car, and they drove straight to the Xicha Brigade. No matter how much he protested during the ride, Dong Yuezhang ignored him.
As the village drew nearer, Du Heng gave up struggling.
But he had already made up his mind: once they arrived, they could say whatever they wanted. He would just listen and not utter a word. At most, he’d grunt an "MM-HMM" or "AH." If he said one word more, he was a pig.
Upon arrival, Du Heng truly stuck to his word.
No matter who he t or what was discussed, he would only nod and smile, responding with a series of "MM-HMMs" and "AHs," not saying an extra syllable. This behavior frustrated Dong Yuezhang to no end.
By now, they had spoken at length with the brigade director of Xicha Brigade. The brigade director kept his head bowed, sighing repeatedly, but refused to commit.
Only after being pressed hard by Dong Yuezhang and the other township officials did the reluctant brigade director finally speak.
"Town Mayor, Director, leaders, you all saw for yourselves last ti you were here. Everyone voiced their concerns."
With a slightly aggrieved expression, the brigade director spoke slowly, "The villagers simply won’t accept a re purchase agreent.
"If it’s profitable, everyone will be happy and smiling. But what if it isn’t profitable? What if this Mr. Liao doesn’t show up anymore?
"That would an all the hard work people put into farming for two or three years would leave them with nothing but the northwest wind to drink."
Seeing Dong Yuezhang about to speak, the village director hurriedly continued, "Don’t even talk about suing or not suing. We’re just farrs; we barely recognize two characters, have no money, and no influential connections. Besides, our entire families—old and young—are waiting for food, schooling, and dical care. Who has the spare ti or energy to sue anyone?"
The village director said everything that needed to be said in one breath. Dong Yuezhang, also finding an opportunity to speak, quickly interjected, "Our Township Governnt will spearhead this. From start to finish, we will supervise it thoroughly. We will absolutely ensure that the villagers don’t suffer any loss."
Although Dong Yuezhang’s assurance was forceful, the village director simply shook his head. "Town Mayor, I actually trust you all. But the ordinary people in our village don’t."
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