68: Chapter 68: Plan Falls Through

Hanging up the phone, Xiao Bei turned to Chairman Jiang Ruhu: "Chairman Jiang Ruhu, I am truly sorry that such a thing happened. Please rest assured, I will definitely give you an explanation."

Chairman Jiang Ruhu snorted coldly and said nothing, merely taking off his suit jacket and draping it over Tian Yuan's shoulders.

Less than ten minutes later, Town Mayor Sun Jiaming arrived, panting for breath, followed by two police officers from the Police Station.

Seeing the situation in the alley, especially the young man with dyed yellow hair, Town Mayor Sun Jiaming's face turned pale in an instant.

"Town Mayor Sun Jiaming." Xiao Bei's voice was as cold as ice. "This person claims to be your nephew, says he can do whatever he wants in Bishi Town, harassed a woman in the street, and even used your name. What do you have to say about this?"

Beads of sweat on Town Mayor Sun Jiaming's forehead glistened in the sunlight.

He stepped forward quickly and slapped Li Chenze across the face: "You bastard! Who told you to use my name to behave so recklessly!"

Li Chenze was stunned by the blow: "Uncle, I..." "Shut up!"

Town Mayor Sun Jiaming shouted sharply, then turned to Secretary Xiao and Chairman Jiang Ruhu, bowing repeatedly. "Secretary Xiao, Chairman Jiang Ruhu, I am truly sorry! This is the child of my distant cousin. I have been lax in his upbringing. I will have the Police Station handle this according to the law immediately!"

The two police officers immediately stepped forward to restrain the three hooligans.

Li Chenze finally realized he had kicked an iron plate. His legs went weak, and he nearly knelt down: "Uncle, I... I was wrong. I won't dare to do it again..."

"Take him away!" Town Mayor Sun Jiaming didn't even look at him. When he turned to Chairman Jiang Ruhu, his expression had already shifted to one of obsequiousness. "Chairman Jiang Ruhu, what do you think about this matter..."

Chairman Jiang Ruhu's face was terrifyingly gloomy. He glanced coldly at Town Mayor Sun Jiaming, then turned back to Secretary Xiao, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "Secretary Xiao, I originally thought Bishi Town was a place worth investing in. Now it seems that there isn't even basic security. My secretary was harassed in broad daylight, and the perpetrator dared to openly claim he was the Town Mayor's relative? Such a business environment is truly disappointing!"

He turned to support the still-shivering Tian Yuan, his tone resolute: "As for the investment, I will reconsider it carefully. Let's end it here for today."

"Chairman Jiang Ruhu!" Xiao Bei hurriedly stepped forward. "We will definitely handle this matter seriously and give you a satisfactory explanation—"

"No need." Chairman Jiang Ruhu raised his hand to interrupt, walking out of the alley without looking back. "Xiao Tian, let's go."

Watching the backs of Chairman Jiang Ruhu's party disappear at the end of the alley, Xiao Bei's face looked dreadful.

He turned around abruptly, the anger in his eyes almost bursting forth: "Town Mayor Sun Jiaming! Do you have any idea how serious today's incident is? Green Energy New Materials is a leading enterprise we went to great lengths to invite. We were on the verge of closing the deal, and now it has all been ruined by your fine nephew!"

Town Mayor Sun Jiaming's face turned from blue to white, and the veins on his forehead bulged: "Secretary Xiao, it is true that I have been lax in my upbringing, but Li Chenze is only my distant cousin. How can his actions represent—"

"Represent what?" Xiao Bei interrupted sharply. "He called you 'Uncle' in public and said that no one dared to interfere with him doing whatever he wanted in Bishi Town! If this gets out, what will others think of our Town Government?"

A crowd of onlookers had gathered around, and the sound of whispering was constant.

Town Mayor Sun Jiaming could not save face, and his voice rose a few notches: "Secretary Xiao! Stop trying to make a mountain out of a molehill here! Whose family doesn't have a few good-for-nothing relatives? I've already had the Police Station handle it according to the law. What else do you want?"

"Handle it according to the law?" Xiao Bei sneered. "If it weren't for running into Chairman Jiang Ruhu today, would this matter have been covered up by you again? Town Mayor Sun Jiaming, don't think I don't know. Last month, in that fight on East Street, the main culprit involved was your wife's cousin. In the end, didn't that just fizzle out?"

These words struck a sore spot for Town Mayor Sun Jiaming. His face flushed red, and he stepped forward abruptly: "Xiao Bei! What do you mean by this? In front of so many people, are you trying to break off relations with me?"

The two men confronted each other with swords drawn. Secretary He Mingxuan and Director Liu Yinyin hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade them.

"Secretary Xiao, Town Mayor Sun Jiaming, let's go back to the office before talking..." Secretary He Mingxuan lowered his voice, looking nervously at the growing crowd of onlookers.

Xiao Bei took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "Fine, very fine. Town Mayor Sun Jiaming, I will report this matter truthfully to the County Party Committee. Now, please go to the Police Station immediately and personally supervise the investigation and handling of this case!"

After speaking, he turned and strode away, his back stiff and angry.

Town Mayor Sun Jiaming stood in place, his fists clenched and rattling. He shouted at Xiao Bei's retreating figure: "Report it then! I, Town Mayor Sun Jiaming, have been in Bishi Town for so long. Do you think I'm afraid of someone who was parachuted in like you?"

A burst of low discussion erupted among the onlookers. Town Mayor Sun Jiaming finally realized his loss of composure and glared fiercely at the surroundings: "What are you looking at! Disperse!"

He pushed through the crowd in a rage and walked in the opposite direction, heading away from Xiao Bei. Secretary He Mingxuan and Director Liu Yinyin looked at each other, both seeing worry in the other's eyes. The two main leaders of Bishi Town had fallen out in public; this matter would likely not be easily resolved.

Xiao Bei returned to his office, closed the door heavily, and threw his briefcase onto the sofa. The afterglow of the sunset outside the window cast mottled shadows on the floor through the blinds, but it could not alleviate the gloom in his heart in the slightest.

He loosened his tie, picked up the phone on the desk, and after a moment of hesitation, dialed Chairman Jiang Ruhu's number.

"Chairman Jiang Ruhu, this is Xiao Bei." He tried hard to make his voice sound steady. "Regarding today's matter, we have already taken criminal detention measures against Li Chenze, and Town Mayor Sun Jiaming has also made a profound self-reflection..."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. Chairman Jiang Ruhu's cold voice came through: "Secretary Xiao, I know the result of the handling, but this is not an isolated problem; it is a problem with the entire investment environment. I need time to re-evaluate."

"Chairman Jiang Ruhu, I understand your concerns, but please believe..."

"No need to say more." Chairman Jiang Ruhu interrupted him. "The investment plan of Green Energy New Group is temporarily shelved. Let's wait until you have truly rectified the business environment."

The busy signal from the hung-up phone sounded particularly harsh in the quiet office. Xiao Bei slowly put down the receiver, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the desk. The Development Zone's first landing project—it had just fallen through like that.

He walked to the window and looked at the old locust tree in the Town Government courtyard. It is said that this tree has a history of over a hundred years, witnessing how many ups and downs Bishi Town has gone through. And now, Xiao Bei's name would likely be recorded on the page of "incompetence."

"Knock, knock"—a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in." Secretary He Mingxuan pushed the door open and entered, holding a stack of documents: "Secretary, the approval for the Development Zone project has come down, but the county requires us to introduce the first enterprise within three months, otherwise..."