When I saw Li Ge, who opened the door, I slapped my head and remembered that I was sure to run into Li Ge when I came to look for Li Liang.
Even if I said I didn’t know Ma Dazhuang, Li Ge wouldn’t be any less angry with me.
I and Chu Xiaoxiao were both dumbfounded, Li Ge’s eyes were as red-blooded as if they were on fire.
I had to say, “We’re here to see your father, we have something to discuss with him.”
Li Ge laughed outright: “How dare you come to my house? I’ve already given you face for not settling the score with you yesterday, Zhang Chao, don’t bully people too much! Do you know that since early this morning, the local forums in Tong City have been rumouring that I’m a h*mosexual, and it’s all your doing!”
“Li Ge, it really wasn’t Zhang Chao who did this, don’t blame the good guys by mistake.” Chu Xiaoxiao said for me.
This time Li Ge’s anger grew even greater, pointing at Chu Xiaoxiao’s face and saying, “Chu Xiaoxiao, it’s your good fortune that I, Li Shao, have taken a fancy to you, don’t be too shameless. Which part of me treats you badly, you want to unite an outsider against me, and will an uneducated loser like Zhang Chao.”
I frowned and said, “If you talk, don’t keep pointing your hand. If I break your finger later, you’ll be screaming in pain again.”
Li Ge shouted, “How dare you come to my doorstep and threaten me? Get the hell out of here! My father won’t see you!”
With that, he slammed the iron door shut.
Chu Xiaoxiao asked me, “What now?”
I put my arm around her, “It’s okay, we’ll wait for Mayor Li in the car, he’ll be back sooner or later.”
“You’re still waiting? It’s useless to wait. Look at Li Ge’s attitude, you can tell that Mayor Li won’t help us.”
“That’s not necessarily true.” I laughed, “Be good, wait with me for a while, later Mayor Li will be back, we will follow him into the house, and Li Ge’s face will be wonderful.
Chu Xiaoxiao sat by my side and accompanied me despite not believing that Mayor Li would help me.
We both waited until dusk, when the streetlights came on, before we saw a car drive by from afar, and Mayor Li saw us and stopped beside us.
“Zhang Chao, how come it’s you?”
He sized me up, his face not looking particularly good. I guessed he must have already known what had happened yesterday from Li Ge’s mouth.
I took a look at this car of his, a very ordinary Honda, estimated to be less than 100,000 yuan, which looked very low-key and did not fit in with the valuable villa behind me.
I guessed it, this man is very good at saving face, the car is driven out for others to see, he does not want others to say he is a corrupt official, for the sake of a clean official’s reputation, he then chose to drive a cheap domestic car, and the villa is a different story.
I smiled, “Mayor Li, I’m waiting for you here, I didn’t expect you to come back until now. I saw you on the news on TV. That reporter didn’t understand the situation at all and was talking nonsense. We were rescued mainly because of your leadership’s timely rescue, otherwise we would have been feeding the fish in the Pacific Ocean. She still uses this to attack you, it’s really shameless.”
In fact the government didn’t organise any effective rescue at all and the search and rescue boats never met up with our cruise ship.
But I had learned long ago in the army how to make leaders happy, just leave all this credit to them and the mistakes are all my own.
Li Liang’s face soothed a little and he sighed, “If only everyone thought like you. It’s a pity that most people aren’t as reasonable as you are, hey. Nowadays, media management is chaotic and our work is not easy. But as a servant of the people, it’s only right to serve them, so it’s normal to suffer a little. Zhang Chao, you should go back first, it’s getting late.”
Li Liang used the sensor key to open the door, Chu Xiaoxiao was anxious and went after him, leaning on the car window and said, “Uncle Li, Zhang Chao and I have a request for your help, Zhang Chao’s company is in trouble with the fire department and the industry and commerce for no reason, you must help us.”
Li Liang had to stop and let out a long sigh, “Xiaoxiao, you are the child I grew up with, and Zhang Chao is also a good boy. I heard about the matter of Zhang Chao’s company today. This matter seems to be directed at you, but in fact it is in accordance with the procedures. I also told them today that they should not stick to the terms and conditions, but learn to be flexible, serve the merchants and put people first. Don’t worry, we are all reasonable people and will not deliberately make things difficult for you.”
Chu Xiaoxiao was still young in the end and could not hear that Li Liang was playing Taiji, and seeing Li Liang’s tone of voice softening, she thought there was hope.
“Uncle Li, then can you say something for us and tell them not to make things difficult for us. How can our advertising company have illegal fire protection? The fire protection is all the equipment in the office building, ah.”
Li Liang said, “This …… me …… dash, it’s not that uncle Li is not helping you. I’m a mayor, but I’m also a father. You can dislike Li Ge, but why did you find someone to insult him like that last night? If I broke the rules and helped you, firstly, it would be against my principles of being a human being, and secondly, how would you make me face Li Ge? By then it won’t just be Li Ge, even my wife will be at odds with me, so don’t give me a hard time.”
After saying that, he continued to drive the car inside.
Chu Xiaoxiao looked at me helplessly, she had tried her best, but Li Liang would not take it lying down.
I laughed and patted her shoulder, wrapped my arm around her and pressed one hand against Li Liang’s car window.
“Mayor, just now Xiao Xiao was too anxious, don’t take it to heart, in fact I didn’t come here today for this matter.” I laughed.
Chu Xiaoxiao looked at me in surprise as she muttered, “Then what is the matter you are here for?”
Li Liang’s reaction was similar to Chu Xiaoxia’s.
I said, “It’s about the boat. I watched your interview and actually the rumours in the community are very easy to break now, as long as someone comes forward, clarifies it in front of the public and says how much power the government has used in this rescue, there will be no more doubts. I am probably the best person to come forward and clarify for you.”
When I finished my sentence, Li Liang’s expression was wonderful, he looked down and pondered for a moment, then changed to a particularly kind smile and said, “You’re all here, so stay and eat, the family has prepared a meal, it’s a matter of adding an extra pair of chopsticks.”
Chu Xiaoxiao and I looked at each other with a smile and said in unison, “Then you are welcome.”
Li Liang’s car drove in in front, and Chu Xiaoxia and I followed behind. Chu Xiaoxia admired me to the core and whispered, “Did you see how fast his face turned just now?”
“That’s the basic quality of being an official, you still have to learn, little idiot.”
As soon as we walked into the courtyard, we saw Li Ge greeting his father’s car as it came out, and he saw us by this time too, furious as hell.
“Who let you in? Do you two have any shame? Get the hell out of here!”
With that, he grabbed the mop next to him and chased us away. Chu Xiaoxiao was so scared that she hid behind me and shouted at Li Ge, “What are you doing?”
I couldn’t help but laugh and cry. I wasn’t afraid of him hitting me with his two strokes, but it was just a bit funny the way he was acting.
“Li Ge, didn’t you say you were a f*cking master’s degree graduate, especially educated and qualified, why are you acting like a shrew now?”
